When it comes to oysters, Andrew Zimmern believes location is everything.
The celebrity chef and television personality, who is hosting the Oyster Bash at the New York City Wine & Food Festival on Saturday, said the secret to a great oyster lies in its flavor, texture and, perhaps most importantly, where it originates.
“Oysters really taste of place,” Zimmern told Fox News Digital.
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Much like wine grapes, oysters develop distinctive characteristics based on their environment. Water conditions, food sources and even the composition of the seafloor can influence their flavor and appearance.
Zimmern, based in Minneosta, has experienced these differences firsthand, tasting oysters harvested just a few hundred yards apart that delivered dramatically different flavors.
“One’s very sweet, one’s very saline. And it really depends on what you like,” he said.
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As for his own preferences, Zimmern said he gravitates toward oysters with a particular combination of flavors.
“I like oysters that are coppery, taste like a cross between pennies and celery and have enough salinity to sort of carry the oyster,” he said.
He’s particularly fond of West Coast oysters, he said, although he noted that East Coast growers are increasingly producing oysters with similar flavor profiles by carefully selecting growing locations based on the food available in the water.
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But while oyster aficionados might debate which region produces the best shellfish, Zimmern is decidedly less particular about how they’re prepared.
Raw, grilled, fried or baked, he said he’s game for all of them.
“If the oyster is flavorful enough, you can do anything with it,” he said.
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Zimmern recalled visiting an oyster restaurant outside Houston where the raw oysters were unremarkable, but the grilled preparations — including versions with spinach, cheese, garlic, butter and hot sauce — were extraordinary.
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He also has a soft spot for fried oysters and regularly makes oyster chowder during the colder months.
“I love cooked oysters,” he said. “I love oyster chowder. I make oyster chowder almost every other week in the wintertime.”