Eating oysters in a month without an "R"
True Oysters Family: Ostreidae (Oysters)
There is a saying “do not eat oysters in a month without an ‘R”
or “only eat oyster in a month with an “R”
No, this wasn’t thought up by Pirates (sorry- bad joke)
All months have the letter R in the spelling except May, June, July and August.
There is a logical explanations for this.
The saying probably started back as far as the times of the Romans who were known for their love of eating oysters.
First, some biology…
Reproductive behavior in the oyster is remarkable in that both oviparous (egg bearing) and larviparous (larvae bearing) species are found.
The Eastern oyster is the predominant species of oyster in Barnegat Bay and the east coast.
When they reproduce, they are larviparous meaning females release eggs and males release sperm into the water column. (broadcast spawning)
Free floating eggs are fertilized and develop into larvae then ultimately into oysters.
In other parts of the world some species of oysters are oviparous.
Reproduction is characterized by their aberrant trans-ctenidial (gill) ovulation pathway and by the utilization of the mantle cavity inhalant chamber as a broodsite in species with parental care.
To make a long story short, the eggs are kept within their shell and released as larvae
The European Flat Oyster – Ostrea eduli
An oviparous oyster species that ranges along the western and southern coasts of Europe and the Mediterranean.
Eggs are retained within the shell of the female and are fertilized internally by sperm drawn into the mantle cavity with the incurrent stream.
Now… back to those months.
May, June, July and August are the months without R’s and when oyster reproduction is most active.
One reason is that eating oysters brooding eggs is that they may be a little “gritty” when eaten.
This would not be the problem with the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) (Barnegat Bay).
Another reason is that during these months, oysters are spawning so their metabolic energy is used for reproduction and not for building up body mass for the colder weather.
Consuming them but would not be as succulent as in Fall or Winter.
Today’s Barnegat oyster are harvested, shipped and stored under refrigeration and inspected regularly at market.
So, it is not a problem enjoying oysters any time of the year.
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