Oysters

An oyster is a common name for group of bivalve mollusks, eaten raw or cooked. They are a good source of iron, calcium, zinc, and vitamins A and B. Oysters are typically most nutritious when eaten raw.

Raw oysters should be eaten alive, and cooked oysters must be cooked alive. Live oysters have their shells tightly closed, or will snap shut if the shell is tapped. An oyster with an open shell is dead and cannot be assumed to be safe to eat. Cooking the oyster should cause the shell to open by itself.

Oysters can be prepared a variety of ways. They can be eaten raw, boiled, smoked, roasted, fried,canned, pickled, stewed or steamed.