Fish
Crassostrea gigas
A tier
Crassostrea gigas, the Pacific cupped oyster, is the workhorse of modern oyster farming from Japan and Korea to France, the Pacific Northwest, and beyond. Shells are deep and fluted; meats are plump with a balance of sweetness, cucumber or melon notes, and moderate brine depending on the grow-out water. It adapts to many merroirs while keeping a reliable cup for raw bars. Serve raw on the half shell with mignonette, grill under a herb crust, or bake Rockefeller-style. Deep cups hold liquor well. Farmed gigas dominate supermarket and restaurant supply; finish varies more with estuary than with the Latin name alone. Discard any that stay closed after cooking or smell foul when opened.
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Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
Japanese coastal culture raised and harvested Pacific cupped oysters for centuries.
Pacific oyster seed was introduced to North American west-coast beds after native declines.
French growers adopted Crassostrea gigas after disease hit the Portuguese oyster industry.
Global hatchery spat made gigas the default farmed oyster species worldwide.