Oysters on Sakhalin. Oysters. Live shellfish from the Far East - an exquisite delicacy
Changes are brewing at the oyster market, where exquisite varieties of shellfish with noble French origins rule the roost. The Sakhalin oyster is ready to fight with European competitors, familiar to domestic gourmets.
The culture of seafood consumption in Russia has not yet developed. When it comes to eating mollusks, snails and other exotics, we are far from Europeans. “We don’t really know what to do with a live cuttlefish, a live octopus, or even the more familiar oyster,” says Andrei Kuspits, development director of the gastronomic club Le Bon Gout and a seafood expert. “A word like sea cucumber seems mysterious to us.”
For example, in France, Kuspitz says, the oyster is a completely ordinary and affordable creature that is sold in markets mixed with plump, cheap fish, potatoes and meat. It is curious that schoolchildren often use it there in laboratory work (the oyster has a heart, gills and other organs important for biological experiments, it can be bought inexpensively - and it is not as scary to pick and torture as the same frog).
In Russia, oysters are eaten in restaurants on special occasions. In Moscow establishments they cost at least 200 rubles, in the regions even more - up to 350 rubles for a Fin de Claire oyster. The oyster market in Russia, naturally, is quite small and is limited to five or six importers bringing live delicacies from French oyster farms. France is the center of the oyster world; here farmers have been growing (more precisely, growing) oysters for centuries in special reservoirs with desalinated water - “clairs”. In this way, “refining” occurs, refining the oyster of the “full sea”: that is, a wild oyster that lived in the sea is transformed into a product that has taste characteristics in accordance with the properties of the water in which it was kept.
From France the oyster is delivered by plane. Expensive logistics, customs duties (21% in total to the price of an oyster) and small volumes of deliveries made by importers (the oyster lives and retains its taste for about 10 days after it is taken out of the water, so it needs to be sold quickly, and transporting large volumes is not very interesting) - all this determines the rather high price at which the product reaches wholesalers.
The “Russian” oyster that appears on the market, mainly the so-called giant, or Sakhalin, is harvested in the wild on Sakhalin. It is called “unconventional” on the market because of its outstanding size (compared to the French one): it can weigh up to one and a half kilograms, and sometimes lives in natural conditions for up to 60-80 years. Moreover, in France and throughout the world, the most popular oysters are size “number 3”, weighing about 80 grams. “Larger ones are already difficult to sell,” says Andrey Kuspits.
— In this sense, Russia in the early 1990s, when interest in the “bourgeois” oyster began to awaken here, turned out to be an excellent market for the French: we “chose” all large sizes, since some of the quickly rich Russians preferred everything big: if oyster , if it’s too expensive, then let it be for the whole plate.”
“Just think, there’s a big difference: eating a dozen elegant French oysters weighing 150 grams - or one weighing one and a half kilos,” laughs entrepreneur Alexander Ezhel (trading house “Pearl”), one of the pioneers of the Russian oyster niche. Thanks to the expanding presence of the domestic product on the market, the oyster in Russia can “simplify”, become a more democratic, accessible and not the most expensive delicacy, Andrei Kuspits is sure: “I think that this trend - the democratization of the oyster - will fully manifest itself within five years.” .
To make oyster logistics more efficient and extend the terms of its sale, Russian producers have developed special systems for keeping and “growing” oysters in aquariums—“overexposure.” “These are “dolphinariums” in which the survival rate of mollusks is very high,” says Andrei Kuspits. — They can be accumulated there. Mollusks live in such aquariums for a very long time, while the oyster, for example, does not experience seasonal changes: it believes that it is winter and hibernates. She eats almost nothing at this time, loses weight and becomes tasty and beautiful.” The lifespan of oysters and other sea creatures in holding systems can reach one and a half years, assures Alexander Yezhel, whose company Zhemchuzhina was one of the first to introduce this equipment to the Russian market. “Previously, such systems were also used,” explains Yezhel, “but mostly they kept fish there: carp, trout. But it was more difficult to make marine aquariums; a different alloy was required.”
Yezhel considers the aquariums developed by his company to be his main competitive advantage. First of all, he promotes his equipment to restaurants, thus hoping to seriously increase sales of domestic seafood. In Yezhel’s aquariums, not only oysters can live, but also other sea creatures: scallops, cockerel, crabs, spizula, lobsters, lobsters. One aquarium can hold up to 400 kilograms of live products.
Yezhel claims that in three years he has installed almost 1.3 thousand aquariums in Russian restaurants, and his company’s sales doubled in a year. The recipe for success is that Yezhel primarily develops regional markets: Moscow is too heavy, crowded with competitors. “Moscow accounts for 5% of our sales,” he says. The entrepreneur keeps seafood products in warehouses in the Moscow region, and also carries out direct deliveries to the regions from production sites. Sales are especially good, naturally, in resort areas, in the south of Russia.
“When promoting the Russian oyster, you need to give people a story - tell them where it was caught,” Alexander Yezhel explains his policy. “So that a person would be interested in going to a restaurant and eating an oyster from Russky Island or Shikotan, where he may never visit.”
Two Russian oyster bars operate in St. Petersburg, one was opened in Moscow.“In a few years, oyster bars will appear in most Russian cities,” he predicts. — Moreover, their range will be wider: not only oysters, but also other types of shellfish. This topic will become very fashionable, but now it is just emerging. The situation was the same with “quasi-Japanese” cuisine: it took a long time to become fashionable, but then there was a real explosion.” According to Kuspitz, an oyster bar does not require high investments: installing an aquarium system with a loading capacity of five tons can cost 5 million rubles. “It’s just an open area without a hot kitchen,” adds Alexander Yezhel. - One bartender. Lack of additional premises, approvals from firefighters, exhaust hoods and other things.”
But in general, the oyster is clearly not a product for wide sale. In order for it to move into the category of a mass-demanded product, it is necessary to significantly increase market volumes - and this is possible not only by expanding the range of its production in wildlife. Prospects for the development of Russian oyster farming are also visible. For now, these are more like experiments, says Andrei Kuspits. According to his information, oysters are grown in small quantities on the Black Sea (farms in Utrish and Taman). Alexander Yezhel also believes in the prospects of oyster farming in Russia, where there are optimal natural conditions for this. But today, he complains, oyster farming in our country is fraught with too many problems. It is impossible to obtain permission to import planting material from France, and there have been no oysters in the Black Sea for a long time, and it is also very difficult to register the use of water territory and a plot of land to create a farm. “I have already organized two oyster farms - in Morocco and Sri Lanka,” the entrepreneur boasts. “It’s still much easier to grow an oyster there than in Russia.”
Tender, like a light sea breeze and melting in your mouth... Where can you eat oysters in Moscow? In a restaurant, the cost of seafood is quite high, and it’s not always possible to determine freshness, so buying oysters with home delivery from the online store is a profitable solution from all sides! We receive sea mollusks directly from the Far East by plane, and until the moment of sale we keep them in a specially equipped holding facility with sea water. When assembling your order, each shell is carefully checked, and the seafood is transported in special thermal bags, so you always receive a live delicacy of the highest quality! Thanks to direct deliveries, the price of oysters is low - from 89 rubles per 100 grams . The delicacy is harvested by hand in the cold Far Eastern waters by divers and is distinguished by its unique sea aroma and tender meat.Live shellfish from the Far East - an exquisite delicacy
Many of our customers note that wild ones often turn out to be tastier than those served in European fish restaurants. The secret is in their wild origin and the cold waters in which they grow: such mollusks are juicier, have a delicate texture, a slightly salty taste and the aroma of a fresh cucumber. Unlike European ones, which are grown to a specific size, Far Eastern wild mollusks are not calibrated and are sold by weight.You can buy oysters with home delivery on the official website of the Sakhalin Caviar House in any volume, large or small. When choosing seafood, pay attention to the size: large shellfish have a dense consistency and are quite filling, while small shellfish are more tender and easy to drink. Oysters are incredibly healthy for health - they are rich in iodine, vitamins and valuable Omega-3 acids. Seafood is considered an aphrodisiac and has a tonic effect on the nervous system.
How do they eat oysters?
An exquisite delicacy served in the best restaurants can be easily enjoyed at home, just stock up on crushed ice, a bottle of chilled champagne or white wine and pleasant company! : Serve on a bed of ice, sprinkle with lemon juice and “drink” from the side where the oyster has a depression. There are those who prefer seafood and even... Order oysters delivered at a time and place convenient to you and amaze your guests with a luxurious treat or organize an unforgettable romantic evening!For those who want to remember the May holidays not only with barbecues in the nearest forest, I suggest driving along the route from Vladik to Sakhalin.
The expedition starts on Russky Island, from where participants will reach the famous Voroshilov battery and kayak between sunken ships in Truda Bay. Further through Khabarovsk to the port of Vanino, from where you will begin an exciting sea journey on a ferry along the island of Sakhalin. On the final day of the expedition, the team will have to go through a serious off-road route to Busse Lagoon, where participants will try the best oysters and scallops on the planet, caught with their own hands.
I will join the team on Sakhalin (you can fly to the island with me).
Below the cut is a detailed program, photos and cost...
DAY 1
10:00 Arrival in Vladivostok
10:15 Transfer to the hotel, check-in, rest
13:00 Lunch
14:00 Transfer to Russky Island
15:00 Kayaking in Truda Bay
17:00 Visit to the Voroshilov Battery Museum
20:00 Return to the hotel, dinner
DAY 2
08:00 Breakfast
09:00 Transfer to Khabarovsk
13:00 Lunch in a cafe
20:00 Check-in at the hotel, dinner
DAY 3
08:00 Breakfast
09:00 Transfer to the seaport "Vanino"
14:00 Lunch in a cafe
19:00 Arrival at the port
20:00 Loading onto the ferry, accommodation in cabins (loading time on the ferry will be known the day before)
Dinner on the ferry
DAY 4
09:00 Breakfast on the ferry
13:00 Arrival in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
13:30 Check-in at the hotel
14:00 Lunch
15:00 Transfer to the Museum of Local Lore
16:00 Excursion
18:00 Return to the hotel, dinner
DAY 5
09:00 Breakfast
10:00 Off-road route
13:00 Field lunch
14:00 Transfer to a scallop farm
16:30 Farm visit, tasting
18:30 Return to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
20:00 Dinner
DAY 6
Departure
No off-road driving experience is required to participate in the expedition. All necessary training will be provided by Land Rover Experience instructors on site.
The cost of participation in the expedition is 160 thousand rubles.
Air flights Moscow - Vladivostok and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk - Moscow are not included. The price is based on single occupancy. Minimum participant age: 12 years.
Convenient search engine for cheap air tickets.
The oyster season is in full swing, and food sanctions can become a serious obstacle for gourmets and lovers of European seafood. Restaurateurs are looking for different solutions, for example, they bring oysters from Sakhalin to the Code de Vino enoteca. The editors of Lucky Ducky went to try the gifts of the Russian sea and understand the subtleties of taste in the company of the French woman Violette Laglaise, who knows firsthand what high-quality seafood is.
Food sanctions have forced domestic restaurateurs to pay closer attention to products from Russia. Thus, at the Code de Vino restaurant you can now try oysters from Sakhalin. The oyster season is already underway, and trade wars are not a reason to deny yourself gastronomic pleasures.
Sakhalin oysters are noticeably larger than their “colleagues” from Tunisia or France, and due to high demand within the country, they are also quite rare. They are wild caught, and some are sent to Asia, which, by the way, can also explain some of the shortage of this product. Taken together, the appearance of Sakhalin oysters on the Code de Vino menu is an interesting event. It’s worth trying domestic oysters if only out of interest, but if we consider the situation on a larger scale, then in this way it is quite possible to awaken reasonable patriotism in yourself: domestic oysters are in no way inferior in quality to European ones.
It seems that the vicissitudes of the sanctions are still creating interest in Russian products, but, as expected, production volumes are not yet able to satisfy demand. However, the rarity of Sakhalin oysters is an additional reason to rush to try them. At Code de Vino, the clams are traditionally served with a red onion and vinegar sauce. Due to the large size, the taste is creamier and nuttier. These oysters should be paired with serious, full-bodied, rich-tasting wines, while Tunisian and French oysters are best paired with lighter white wine, champagne or Chablis. To compare Sakhalin and French oysters, the editors of Lucky Ducky, together with Violette Laglaise, an expert from the Trade Mission at the French Embassy in Russia, went to Code de Vino for a tasting, and the restaurant director talked about why he made this choice.
What are Sakhalin oysters
Roman Sergeev, director of the enoteca
Code de Vino
“Sakhalin oysters are one of the few types of domestic oysters that you can try. Oysters are also caught in the Black Sea, but they either fly to Moscow or remain in the Krasnodar Territory. The gifts of Sakhalin are more accessible, but it is not possible to establish a constant flow. We would be happy to bring new batches every week, but this quantity is simply not on sale. As a result, we have a piece product that is interesting for tasting. The oysters we sampled are medium in size, with some really large specimens weighing up to 800 grams. In France, Tunisia, Morocco and along the entire Mediterranean coast, oysters are grown on specialized farms; in Kamchatka they are caught in the wild.
Residents of the Far East are familiar firsthand with the quality of Russian seafood: delicious fish, crabs, oysters and scallops are caught near them, but not all of these seafood reach other Russian cities. Today, interest in domestic products is becoming more and more noticeable. When trying Russian products, we notice that there are many worthy ones among them. Kamchatka oysters, for example, are in no way inferior to foreign ones, it’s just not possible to catch them in the same volume yet.”
What do Sakhalin oysters taste like?
Violette Laglaise, Development Expert, Department of Industry, Transport and Infrastructure, Ubiffrance Trade Mission at the Embassy
France in Russia
“I come from a place not far from Toulouse, I lived here in the South of France for a long time. Seafood is not very common in our area, but it was always present at every holiday feast. Oysters are a New Year's dish for me. We ate them every year at Christmas as a family. The table was always divided into two halves: those who eat oysters and those who do not like them. I have always loved them, especially with the sauce we were served today, various breads and salted butter.
The oysters we tried were very large. I didn’t know that they were also caught on Sakhalin. I even took pictures to show them to my parents. This is a very nostalgic dish for me. When I return to visit France, I always know which dish I want to eat first. Wine and seafood are what France greets me with. It’s very interesting what kind of nostalgic dishes Russians have. Now at this table I felt like I was in France. Decent French wine, by the way. It’s nice that the Russians understand it and do it with taste.
Everything is very delicious. Well, I'm surprised by the size of these oysters. You have to eat them a little differently, everything is a little more complicated than with French ones, but they are meatier and creamier in taste. It's unusual and pleasant. I have tried oysters from different places and I want to say that even French ones from different regions have slightly different tastes. More important than these taste differences is quality. I liked today's oysters. If it weren’t for this tasting, I would hardly have known that they existed on Sakhalin at all.”
Oysters - these sea creatures have been a symbol of well-being and prosperity for many years. Nowadays, you can buy live oysters in specialized stores, including online stores, or order them in a restaurant. If previously these shellfish were brought from France, now imported shellfish have been replaced by oysters, which are harvested off the coast of Sakhalin. It is possible not only in fishing areas, but also in many Russian cities, where they are quite successfully delivered.
The history of the relationship between man and oysters goes back thousands of years. The shells of this bivalve mollusk are very often found during excavations of ancient human sites in huge quantities. This is most likely due to the way of life of oysters; they most often settle in coastal waters, which warm up quite well. The optimal depth for oysters begins at one meter, so they were an accessible source of protein food for ancient man. In addition, oysters tolerate some desalination very well; they only need 20 grams of salt per liter for normal growth and development. It should be noted that at a higher salinity, 3.0 -3.3%, oysters grow faster, but their meat is somewhat rougher than those that developed at a salinity of 2.0%. The most delicious are considered to be oysters caught in places where rivers flow into the sea.
In Russia, the popularity of oysters began to grow even under Emperor Peter I, and in the middle of the 19th century it was possible to buy live oysters in large cities of Russia; in St. Petersburg alone, up to a million of them were sold per year.
During the Soviet era, relations with oysters were ambivalent. The culinary traditions formed during the years of Soviet power had an impact. On the territory of the country, the mollusk was caught in the Black, Okhotsk and Japanese Seas. As a rule, they were consumed mainly in areas of natural habitat, although already in 1972 the technology of artificial cultivation of these mollusks was mastered in the Primorsky Territory, which could meet the needs of the country. However, in the central part of the country, even in large restaurants, these shellfish were not in demand, since only a few Soviet chefs mastered the art of serving oysters correctly. Even fewer Soviet citizens could master the culture of eating oysters and always eat live shellfish, whose shells were served on a bed of crushed ice, and the only sauce was most often lemon juice. Wine vinegar, fresh bread and green onions could also be served along with shellfish, however, not many could overcome themselves and eat a still living creature, which, moreover, in the opinion of people accustomed to traditional food, did not look very presentable. After the country stopped living behind the Iron Curtain, people got the opportunity to go on gastronomic tours to France and Belgium, whose national cuisines included shellfish for centuries, then it became possible to buy live oysters in Russia. They came to the Russian market mainly from France; accordingly, in the last decade of the last century they were again available only to wealthy people. However, life does not stand still, taking into account the fact that our Far Eastern shores are quite densely populated with several species of oysters, their fishing has somewhat influenced pricing and mollusks have become available to people with average incomes.
In the last ten to twelve years, you can buy live Sakhalin oysters of the following types:
Aniva or Solovyovskaya, lives mainly in the Sakhalin bays, has a special, slightly salty taste, average weight 90 g, average length up to 12 cm, especially large specimens weigh 300 grams.
Japanese or Pacific oyster, giant, inhabitant of Sakhalin and coastal bays, has a somewhat unusual cucumber smell, average size 25 cm, average weight -500g, there are very large specimens up to half a meter long and weighing up to 1500 grams.
Khasan oyster, this species lives in areas with large currents, at fairly great depths, where it inhabits underwater rocks, the taste is ambiguous, from salty to moderately sweet.
The meat of all oysters is a rich source of useful nutrients. Of particular importance is the fact that when eaten, they do not undergo heat treatment and all the vitamins and nutrients in them are preserved unchanged. To benefit from shellfish meat, you must buy live oysters. You should not buy a shellfish if its shell is already slightly open; most likely, it has been dead for a long time and its meat has been spoiled. In restaurants, oysters are served already opened; at home, you will have to solve this problem yourself. There are several options for special knives, but if shellfish end up on the table from time to time, then you may have to open them with a simple sharp knife. Regardless of whether you were able to buy live Sakhalin oysters or whether they were imported from Tunisia, Portugal or France, the principle of opening an oyster shell does not depend on its origin.
Most often, the mollusk is wrapped in a napkin and pressed with one hand to the surface of the table or plate, the tip of the knife is inserted between the oyster valves, after which the knife is moved like a lever, slightly widening the hole, and in one movement the tissue of the muscle that is responsible for closing the valves is cut. You need to hold the oyster with the flat side up. If shell fragments get inside during the opening process, do not try to wash them off with water. Select them using a knife or tweezers. In extreme cases, you can do it manually. Then lemon juice is added inside. A live oyster will definitely react to acid. You can eat the contents of the shell either using a special fork, or by “drinking” a pre-cut oyster in one gulp.
recommend not only to lovers of these shellfish, but also to those who have never tried them, especially to people suffering from iodine deficiency, anemia of various natures and loss of strength.
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