On an unusually sunny day in Washington, IBSS employees Mark and Lisa Tagal joined Bonney Lake High School (BLHS) culinary students and teacher/chef Kahale Ahina at the Port Madison Community Shellfish Farm (PMCSF) on the Bloedel Reserve tidelands on Bainbridge Island. The PMCSF is run by IBSS’ aquaculture literacy industry partner, Puget Sound Restoration Fund (where they grow a variety of Pacific oysters known as the Port Madison Petites), and is part of the local Community Supported Aquaculture (CSA) group. This was the second part of the presentation previously shown at the school on “The Merroir of Ocean-Farmed Seafoods.” This was their chance to see it all come together.

It was an active harvest day and students worked alongside PMCSF employees and CSA volunteers to fill orders. First came the rinsing and emptying of the tumble bags followed by sorting the oysters. Later, they worked on bagging and tagging the product, an important requirement on a commercial oyster farm. The students learned that the farm strictly follows food safety harvesting protocols assigned by state law. After they had helped with the harvest, each student selected a few dozen oysters specifically cultured for the half-shell market and participated in a hands-on shucking lesson from Mark.

Learning the art of shucking was a process and the students embraced it with determination. Mark demonstrated the tried-and-true method with just an oyster knife and towel. Then, it was the students’ turn to try. While it took some trial runs to begin to master this skill, by the end of the lesson most of the students had succeeded in shucking their own oysters. It was a testament to their learning and growth during this unique experience.

While at the nearby impromptu table setting, a selection of hot sauces and red algae were available to enhance the oyster-eating experience. The advice was to always eat the first oyster plain so you can fully taste the flavors of that specific variety. All attendees ate at least one oyster, while others even began oyster-eating competitions. It was a beautiful day for this event and the kids really enjoyed the experience.

By visiting the farming operation, these budding chefs witnessed firsthand the growing conditions that influence the oysters’ shape, taste, and texture. The previous presentation on the concept of the merroir along with this learning experience became an “aha” moment for the students. They learned what a single-shell oyster is and how it starts in a hatchery, and then, for the Port Madison Petites, they learned about how and where they grow in hand-tumbled bags giving them the deeper cup, meatier oyster, and a full briny gulp of the oyster liquor.

On the walk back to the school bus, the students talked about the surrounding area of the oyster garden, the grade of the beach, the sediment, and the overall wave action on this tideland and how those factors affected the taste and texture of the oysters they had eaten. Mark and Lisa gently probed to see if this trip was a success by asking some casual questions like: “Do you think you could describe to a future customer the merroir of the oysters you tried today?” and “How does this specific beach contribute to these oysters’ taste or texture?”

Our IBSS team walked away knowing that this event was an absolute winner!

P.S. It also happened to be Chef Ahina’s birthday, so what better way to celebrate when talking about seafood than to share a Nemo cake?