The Chesapeake Bay was once a world center for oyster production, but those beloved bi-valves have fallen on hard times. Pollution took a toll, and baby oysters missed their favorite places to grow. Now, an army of volunteers has teamed up with about a hundred restaurants and grocery stores to boost the population of Virginia oysters.
It’s nearly time for dinner and the kitchen at Shagbark, a trendy seafood place west of Richmond, is in high gear, shucking oysters. Chef de Cuisine Aaron Cross says the place can sell 1,400 of them in a week.
“This part of the country loves its oysters," he said. "We’re starting to turn the corner on everybody’s superstition about only eating oysters in R months. You will definitely see a spike once those months roll around, but we’re getting folks on the summertime oyster wagon, and Virginia oysters are becoming well known all over the country, and we’re even starting to ship around the world.”
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