The Seafood Merchants, Ltd.

(847) 634-0900

Shellfish Information

Information Provided by Marinelli Shellfish (Thanks Pete!)

Depending on seasonal availability, we can deliver these oysters within two days. Call your salesperson for information at (847) 634-0900.
 
 

EAST COAST OYSTERS





MOUNTAIN ISLAND FLAT - (Ostrea edulis) All Year Round

75 and 100 ct boxes @ 25 lbs

An intensively cultured oyster from the narrows of "Blind Bay" Nova Scotia, Canada raised in the traditional French manner called rack and bag. This is the indigenous species of Europe known to most Americans as the "Belon". The name Belon", however, really applies only to the oysters raised in Brittany, France, where it is very famous and commands the highest price. Very firm in texture, slightly salty and sweet meat, with a distinctive mineral - like finish.
 

CARAQUET OYSTER - (Crassostrea virginica) May- November

140 ct box @ 25 lbs A farm raised cold water oyster from the Caraquet region of New Brunswick, Canada. The farm collects the spat on "Chinese Hats", cement coated discs which are suspended from the surface by ropes. The immature oysters are broken from the discs and separated into singles, then set out on the bottom subtidally to mature for about seven years. This produces an oyster two and one half to three inches in diameter, well cupped, and hard shelled. They have well formed hinges and are quite easy to open. The harvest is done by tongs or dragged baskets. They are then cleaned, graded and packed for shipment. The flavor is salty and crisp with a mild, clean aftertaste, while its texture is delicate.
 
 

SALUTATION COVE - (Crassostrea virginica) All Year Round

150 ct box @ 25 lbs

The first farm raised oyster from Prince Edward Island. Salutation Cove produces an oyster with a very deep, attractive cup. They come packed in native rockweed that is harvested along with the oysters. Salutation Cove oysters are very delicate in texture, very salty with a sweet, crisp finish that leaves your mouth feeling clean and refreshed. A perfect appetizer!
 
 

CAPE BRETON - (Crassostrea virginica) All Year Round

140 ct bu @ 25 lbs

These are farm-raised oysters growing off the northern tip of Nova Scotia in an area called Aspy Bay. They are harvested from deep, cold water by a small group of dedicated divers. The Cape Breton is a very salty oyster with a delicate texture and a crisp, sweet finish.
 
 

TATAMAGOUCHE - (Crassostrea virginica) All Year Round

140 ct bu @ 25 lbs

The "Tata" is another oyster from Nova Scotia, and is considered locally to be one of the finest of the area, but it is very limited in supply as the area itself is small. Tatamagouche Bay is located on the "Northern Shore" of Nova Scotia, that neck of land that connects Nova Scotia proper with the mainland. The oyster is harvested with hand tongs from "oyster punts", the traditional oyster skiff of the region. It is a subtidally grown oyster, largely wild, but one grower is experimenting with seeding his lease to increase production capacity and to minimize supply interruptions. We are at the mercy of some old time oystermen with this product. The people with the harvest permits have had them handed down for generations. When they decide they to dig clams for a while and give the oysters a break, that's what they do, we just have to wait. The oyster is quite salty, mildly sweet, with the clean crisp finish of a good eastern oyster.
 
 

MALPEQUE OYSTER - (Crassostrea virginica) May - November

150 ct box @ 25 lbs This is a summer oyster that grows naturally in the cold, clean water of Malpeque Bay, Prince Edward Island, Canada. It is a famous oyster in Europe, where it has won many awards for its flavor and texture. Malpeques have a very delicate texture; they almost dissolve in your mouth. Because the water is so cold in Malpeque Bay, this oyster is extremely salty. The meat has a very crisp, lettuce like flavor with a clean aftertaste. These oysters are from areas not affected by pollution, nor do they contain the dangerous viruses associated with other Eastern and Gulf oysters from warmer waters.
 
 

NEW FOUNDLAND SEA SCALLOPS - (Placopecten magellicanus)

Approx. 3" each, 60 pc/bu, 8 bu/master Due to over fishing and habitat destruction the scallop industry has experienced a considerable decline in the recent years. This has lead to the development of Sea Scallop farms, the first of which are being located in New Foundland, Canada. Scallop seed is collected naturally in mesh bags that have been filled with old monofilament rope. The seed collects on the rope and falls off naturally in a few months when it reaches \about half an inch. It is then placed in hanging cages suspended from the surface. It takes a total of three to three and a half years to reach the three-inch market size. Although this product is very delicious and has many uses in the whole form it will be available fresh shucked in the future. At the three-inch size the muscle shucks out at about fifty count to the pound. Properly stored at thirty five degrees under damp covering and not sitting in liquid, Cultured New Foundland Sea Scallops should have a four to five day shelf life from harvest.
 
 

WEST COAST

WASHINGTON OYSTERS:

QUILCENE BAY OYSTER - (Crassostrea gigas) September - June

xs - 10dz/bu @ 20 lbs, sm - 10dz/bu @ 30 lbs

The Quilcene is a Japanese oyster that has been grown in Washington for over sixty years. Quilcene Bay is a small bay that has its mouth on the western shore of the larger Dabob Bay. Dabob Bay is located towards the northern end of Hood Canal. Quilcenes are beach grown and thick shelled. This area produces an oyster that is delicate in texture, slightly salty and sweet with a cucumbery aftertaste. This oyster is similar to the French "Fine de Claire."
 
 

SISTERS POINT OYSTER - (Crassostrea gigas) October - June

xs - 10dz/bu @ 20 lbs, sm - 10dz/bu @ 30 lbs These oysters are from the southern end of Hood Canal, harvested off of Sisters Point. This is located right at "The Great Bend" where the canal turns from a north/south orientation into one that is east/west. They are beach grown, thick-shelled oysters from a small family run operation that takes great pride in the quality of its oyster and the quality of its work. The family has been at it for almost a decade and has developed a very good reputation. Their flavor is mild with a nice cucumbery finish and their texture is delicate.
 
 

SUNSET BEACH OYSTER - (Crassostrea gigas) October - July

xs - 10dz/bag @ 20 lbs, sm - 10dz/bag @ 30 lbs

Sunset Beach is an idyllic setting on southern Hood Canal looking at the expanse of the Olympic Mountains to the northwest. It is a beach grown oyster, thick shelled and deep cupped, hand graded and cleaned by a small but devoted group of farmers. The Sunset is mildly salty and sweet, with a noticeable melon-like aftertaste to go along with its crunchy texture.
 
 

SUND CREEK OYSTER - (Crassostrea gigas) October - June

xs - 10dz/bu @ 20 lbs, sm - 10dz/bu @ 30 lbs Sund Creek oysters are grown at the mouth of Sund Creek in southern Hood Canal. It is a very small creek and the nearest location of any size is Hoodsport, on the western side of the canal. The Sund family owns the land that this farm is on. One of their ancestors homesteaded the area in the last century and the creek was named in his honor. Sund Creeks are beach grown and thick shelled like most Hood Canal oysters, but these are particularly well graded. They are mildly salty and sweet and have a watermelon-like aftertaste. The meats tend to be quite plump.
 
 

PLEASANT COVE OYSTER - (Crassostrea gigas) October - June

xs - 10dz/bu @ 20 lbs, sm - 10dz/bu @ 30 lbs

This is located east of "The Great Bend" on the north side of the canal after the canal turns from a north/south orientation into one that is east/west. They come from a small family run operation that takes great pride in the quality of its oyster and the quality of its work. They have been at it for almost a decade and have developed a very good reputation. The oyster is beach grown, producing the thick shell so appreciated by shuckers for its ease of opening. They are raised from wild spat and, as with most beach grown oysters, take about three years to reach a three to four inch market size. The meat is plump, they are mildly salty, and the texture leans toward the crunchy side. Their flavor starts out sweet and finishes fruity.
 
 

TRAILS END OYSTER - (Crassostrea gigas) October - June

xs - 10dz/bu @ 20 lbs, sm - 10dz/bu @ 30 lbs
The Trails End oyster is grown at the end of Trails End Road in the southern, east/west portion of Hood Canal. They are a beach grown oyster, thick shelled and well hinged. They tend to be mild flavored as the water at that end of the canal is influenced dramatically by both the abundance of fresh water rivers flowing into it, and the lack of sea water exchange at the south end of the canal.
 
 

HOOD CANAL OYSTER - (Crassostrea gigas) October - June

xs - 10dz/bu @ 20 lbs, sm - 10dz/bu @ 30 lbs

Hood Canal is a large body of water that borders the East side of the Olympic Peninsula. It is a very rich oyster resource. The many rivers and streams that flow into it from the adjacent Olympic Mountains provide ideal growing conditions, and wild oysters can be found along most of its length. Many growers from the region supplement the abundant natural set with hatchery raised spat, but much of what is harvested is wild product from certified beaches. Most Hood Canal Oysters are beach-grown, with the thick shell and solid hinges you would expect from such an oyster. They grow rather slowly, requiring one to two years for extra smalls to reach market size, and two to three years for smalls. The meats tend to grow a little on the thin side, known to some as a French style oyster, because the abundance of fresh water keeps the nutrient level down. Accordingly, they tend to be only mildly salty. They are delicate in texture, sweet, and finish with a cucumbery aftertaste.

SNOW CREEK OYSTER - (Crassostrea gigas) October - June

xs - 10dz/bu @ 20 lbs, sm - 8 dz/bu @ 25 lbs

Snow Creeks are grown in trays suspended from buoys in sixty feet of water. They are grown near the head of Discovery Bay, which is fed by Snow Creek in the Olympic Mountains. These oysters enjoy extremely cold, clean, nutrient-rich water. As tray cultured oysters, they can spend 100% of their life feeding, which accounts for their sweet, plump meat. Before harvesting, the oysters are allowed time on the beach for conditioning, when the shell becomes less brittle and the mussel becomes stronger, both of which improve shelf life.
 
 

SHOALWATER BAY OYSTER - (Crassostrea gigas) September - June

xs - 10dz/bu @ 20 lbs, sm - 10dz/bu @ 30 lbs

Shoalwater Bay is a bay within the larger Willapa Bay on Washington's coast. The area is renowned as an oyster-growing region and is where much of the oysters that are shucked and sold as oyster meats are produced. Shoalwaters are grown in the rack and bag style of culture. The shells are fairly solid for oysters produced in this method, and they have a nice deep-cupped shape. Shoalwaters are mild in terms of their salt content and have a sweet, clean aftertaste.
 
 

OLYMPIA OYSTER - (Ostrea lurida) October - May

10dz/bx @ 5 lbs

Oly's are grown primarily in southern Puget Sound although a couple of farms are growing them in bays along the northern California coast. These are the native oysters of the West Coast. Once very abundant naturally, they are now being cultured due to over-fishing and pollution. Olympias, a perfect oyster for an "oyster virgin," are sweet with a slightly metallic flavor and a firm texture. The supply is increasing annually. The Oly is a very slow growing oyster, sometimes taking five years to reach market size, which is rarely larger than a fifty-cent piece.
 
 

EUROPEAN FLAT OYSTER - (Ostrea edulis) October - May

SKOOKUM FLATS, 10dz/bx @ 15 lbs

DISCOVERY BAY FLATS, 10dz/bx @ 15 lbs

NETARTS BAY FLATS, 10dz/bx @ 15 lbs

WESCOTT BAY FLATS, 10dz/bx @ 25 lbs

 Once intensively cultured oysters, they have become a bit difficult to find as the disease "bonamia" has discouraged a lot of farms from growing them. The disease, which has no affect on humans, strikes the animal just as it begins to reach market size after one and a half years or so of growth. In affected areas, the mortality rate can be 100%. Ostrea edulis is the indigenous species of Europe, known to most Americans as the "Belon." The name "Belon," however, really applies only to the oysters raised in Brittany, France, where they are very famous and consumed in great quantities. The Belon oyster commands the highest price in European restaurants because of its popularity and fragile nature. On the world market, the European Flat oyster is the most expensive oyster on a menu. The European Flat is similar to the Olympia in flavor and texture, but much stronger. It is very firm in texture, slightly salty with sweet meat, and has a distinctive metallic finish. European Flats are identified by their round, shallow shell.
 
 

SKOOKUM INLET OYSTER - (Crassostrea gigas) September - May

xs - 10dz/bu @ 20 lbs, sm - 10dz/bu @ 30 lbs

These oysters are raised in Little Skookum Inlet, which is located in southern Puget Sound near Shelton. Their culture is started in bags on racks, then they are transferred to the beach for over a year to harden the shells and strengthen the abductor mussels. Very deep-cupped oysters, Skookums have an attractive appearance due to the high mineral content of the water in which they are grown. Their flavor is very sweet with a mild fruity finish. The meat is plump, and the texture is firm, but not as crunchy as a Hood Canal oyster.
 
 

TOTTEN INLET OYSTER - (Crassostrea gigas) September - June

xs - 10dz/bu @ 20 lbs, sm - 10dz/bu @ 30 lbs

Raised from larvae as a cultchless oyster on tiny shell fragments, these oysters are grown out in Totten Inlet in southern Puget Sound. They are grown in the same method as Skookums by the same farm. Skookum Inlet has its origin in Totten Inlet, so it is not surprising they have a similar appearance. Tottens are slightly stronger and saltier than Skookums since Totten Inlet has better seawater exchange.
 
 

HAMMERSLEY INLET OYSTER - (Crassostrea gigas) October - June

xs - 10dz/bu @ 20 lbs, sm - 10dz/bu @ 30 lbs

Hammersley Inlet is located in southern Puget Sound near Totten Inlet. The oyster is mildly salty, rich, plump, and sweet. This oyster is completely beach grown, producing the thick shell preferred by some people for the ease with which it opens.
 
 

SHOALWATER BAY OYSTER - (Crassostrea gigas) September - June

xs - 10dz/bu @ 20 lbs, sm - 10dz/bu @ 30 lbs

Shoalwater Bay is a bay within the larger Willapa Bay on Washington's coast. The area is renowned as an oyster-growing region and is where much of the oysters that are shucked and sold as oyster meats are produced. Shoalwaters are grown in the rack and bag style of culture. The shells are fairly solid for oysters produced in this method, and they have a nice deep-cupped shape. Shoalwaters are mild in terms of their salt content and have a sweet, clean aftertaste.
 
 

OREGON OYSTERS:





NETARTS BAY OYSTER - (Crassostrea gigas) October - June

xs - 15dz/bx @ 30 lbs, sm - 10dz/bx @ 30 lbs

Netarts Bay is a small, remote bay within the larger Tillamook Bay in Oregon. It is located about sixty miles south of the Columbia River. The oysters have the appearance of a rack and bag cultured oyster although they are in fact intertidally bottom cultured. The pretty brown, cream, and purple colors of their shell are generally not found on oysters grown this way. They do, however, have the characteristically thick shell of a beach-grown oyster. The meats have a very crunchy texture and tend to fill the shell nicely. They are only mildly salty, quite sweet, with a pronounced cucumbery finish.
 
 

YAQUINA BAY OYSTER - (Crassostrea gigas) October - June

xs - 10dz/bu @ 20 lbs, sm - 10dz/bu @ 30 lbs

Yaquina Bay is located on Oregon's coast, just south of Newport. The bay is a tremendous site for oyster culture as it exchanges a full 75% of its water with the Pacific Ocean on every tidal cycle. This keeps the water very salty and cold, and rich with nutrients. The oysters are cultivated in mesh bags suspended about fourteen inches below the surface by ropes attached to long lines. They have a very nice appearance owing to the fact that they are not subjected to the bleaching rays of the sun or the abuses of waves beating on the beach. They are well cupped, very clean, and have rich full meats. They are very salty, very sweet, and have a distinctly fruity finish.
 
 

CALIFORNIA OYSTERS:





KUMAMOTO OYSTER - (Crassostrea sikamea) All year round

10dz/bu @ 15 lbs

These oysters are originally from the Kumamoto area of Kyushu, Japan. They are a very slow growing oyster that is small in size with a very deep cup. This oyster has been raised in California, Oregon and Washington for over twenty years. However, Kumamoto's were never marketed on a large scale until the mid 1980's. The Kumamoto is rich in flavor, almost buttery, and slightly salty. The finish is sweet, mildly fruity with a light metallic flavor. This oyster is another "oyster virgin's" favorite.
 

HOG ISLAND OYSTER - (Crassostrea gigas) October - May

xs - 10dz/bu @ 20 lbs, sm - 10dz/bu @ 30 lbs

The newest oyster on the block is a Japanese oyster raised in Tomales Bay. This oyster is farmed in the traditional French method called rack and bag. The immature oyster is raised in a tray until large enough to be transferred into a large mesh bag to complete its grow out. The bags themselves are on racks off the bottom and it is there that the oyster does most of its growing. The large mesh allows for excellent water circulation around the oyster and promotes rapid growth. The oysters mature in a year or so. Hogs are plump and salty, with a smoky-sweet flavor. Hog Islands probably have the richest in flavor of all West Coast oysters due to the excellent location of the farm. Shells are very fluted, ivory to purple in color.
 
 

BRITISH COLUMBIA OYSTERS:





PEARL BAY OYSTER - (Crassostrea gigas) October - July

xs - 10z/bx @ 20 lbs, sm - 10dz/bx @ 30 lbs

"The Pearl" is a suspended net, off-bottom-cultured oyster from the Canadian coast about an hour north of the city of Vancouver. It is from a remote, deepwater site of very clean and nutrient-rich water. Oysters raised in this manner are very fast growing, reaching market size in twelve to fourteen months. They also tend to develop a beautiful shell with many colors and a very delicate appearance. They make a splendid presentation and their packaging is superb. Each oyster is laid into its box cup-side-down to help prevent chipped bills and to preserve the liquid within. The meat is plump and sweet. Thanks to the farms close proximity to the ocean, the oysters are also fairly salty. As with many pacific oysters, they will finish with a mild watermelon flavor and a clean aftertaste.
 
 

FANNY BAY OYSTER - (Crassostrea gigas) September - July

xs - 15dz/bx @ 30 lbs, sm - 10dz/bx @ 30 lbs

These oysters are cultured on the beaches of Baynes Sound near the town of Fanny Bay, British Columbia. The shells are thick and easy to open. They are from cold water and are therefore very salty. The flavor is sweet with a strong aftertaste, similar to cucumber. The flesh is plump and firm, with a dark mantle.
 
 

MALASPINA INLET OYSTER - (Crassostrea gigas) September - July

xs - 10z/bx @ 20 lbs, sm - 10dz/bx @ 30 lbs

Malaspinas are grown about 150 miles north of the city of Vancouver in an isolated part of Canada's Sunshine Coast. The only human population to speak of is the oyster farmers themselves. The oysters are beach-cultured and thick-shelled with strong hinges. The water tends to be very cold, therefore quite salty. The oysters' flavor tends to be robust, thanks to the amount of nutrients in the water. It will start salty, move into sweet, and finish with the familiar cucumbery aftertaste we expect from pacific oysters.
 
 

IMPERIAL EAGLE CHANNEL OYSTER - (Crassostrea gigas) September - July

xs - 10z/bx @ 20 lbs, sm - 10dz/bx @ 30 lbs

Imperial Eagles are beach-cultured oysters from the west side of Vancouver Island. Imperial Eagle Channel is located about eighty miles north and west of the southern tip of the island. The oysters are grown in ideal conditions, far from any industrial or population centers. The channel is open to the cold North Pacific waters, rich in nutrients from the strong coastal upwelling of the region. The oysters are quite salty, thanks to the cold, and they tend to be very plump, thanks to the nutrients. The flavor is sweet with a watermelon-rind-type aftertaste.
 
 

NOOTKA SOUND OYSTER - (Crassostrea gigas) September - July

xs - 10z/bx @ 20 lbs, sm - 10dz/bx @ 30 lbs

Nootka Sound is located a little over half way up the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. It is an extremely remote, rugged and windswept location. The oysters must travel by truck over what is little more than a logging road crossing a mountain range just to get to the ferry which takes them to the mainland. They are beach grown, thick-shelled oysters - the shuckers' favorite. The meat is salty, plump and rich. They are quite sweet with a cucumbery aftertaste.
 
 

CHEF CREEK OYSTER - (Crassostrea gigas) September - July

xs - 10z/bx @ 20 lbs, sm - 10dz/bx @ 30 lbs

Chef Creek flows into Deep Bay in the Baynes Sound region of Vancouver Island. The site is about five miles south of Fanny Bay on the East side of the island. The oysters are raised from seed in a flupsy system (floating, up-welling system) which accelerates growth and helps to create a deep, uniform cup. They are then transferred to the beach where they grow to maturity. The final job of cleaning, grading, and sorting is excellently done. The meats themselves are very plump and attractive, with a flavor that starts salty and finishes sweet and melon-like.
 
 

CORTES ISLAND OYSTER - (Crassostrea gigas) September - July

xs - 10z/bx @ 20 lbs, sm - 10dz/bx @ 30 lbs

Cortes Island oysters are cultivated in one of British Columbia's more northerly oyster growing locations. To get to major distribution points they must travel by ferry to Vancouver Island, down the island by truck, then by ferry again to the mainland. They are beach grown oysters, and as such have the nice thick, hard shell oyster shuckers prefer. They are salty, sweet, and have a fruity aftertaste.
 
 

DENMAN ISLAND OYSTER - (Crassostrea gigas) October - July

xs - 10z/bx @ 20 lbs, sm - 10dz/bx @ 30 lbs

Denman Island is located near Fanny Bay on the east coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. As such these oysters will be similar to the Fanny Bays, differing subtly due to their own unique micro environment. They are beach grown and have a thick, hard shell. Because of the cold water they are raised in, they are fairly salty. The meat is sweet with a mild watermelon aftertaste.
 
 

OTHER SHELLFISH & CRAB

MANILA CLAM - (Tapes phillippinarium) All year round

15-20ct/lb, 25 lb/bu

Manila clams are raised throughout the Pacific Northwest but are indigenous to the Orient. They first appeared on the West Coast by accident, traveling over unnoticed in a box of oyster seed. Also known as the Japanese Littleneck, the meat is orange in color, tastes very sweet and the texture is tender. The shell is elliptical with varied coloration. While the majority of Manila clams on the market are wild in origin, those we carry are almost exclusively farm raised. This produces a product that is more consistent in quality and availability. Manilas take three years to mature, so farms tend to handle, grade, and clean their product better than the wild clams because the Manilas represent a substantial investment for them both financially and in time. They also practice better resource management. As a result, we get fresh product at least twice a week, fifty-two weeks per year and don't have to deal with wild openings. This enables us to provide product at times when there is very little available on the market.
 
 

GEODUCK CLAM - (Panope abrupta, P. generosa) November - May

2 - 5 lb ea., 40 lb/bx

This is the largest of all clams found in America. Its shell can be up to 8 inches long and may exceed 5 lbs. in weight. The neck is so long that it cannot be retracted into its shell, which is why it is sometimes called the Elephant Nose clam. The sometimes three-foot-long neck has the appearance of an elephant's trunk. The only parts inedible on this clam are the thin and fragile shell and the viscera, which makes the clam a good buy with a high meat yield. The flavor of the meat is sweet with the body meat softer in texture and stronger in flavor than the neck. It is excellent cooked in soups, chowders or sautéed. The neck can be eaten raw or cooked quickly to keep it tender. The texture is similar to abalone.
 
 

PINK SCALLOP - (Chamys rabida, C. hastata) All Year Round

25ct/lb, 10 lb/bu

This is a deep-water scallop harvested off of Vancouver Island and in Puget Sound at a depth of around eighty feet. The whole animal is edible. Sweet and slightly chewy, the body meat is very colorful with the roe an orange color in females and white in males. Normally in this country (not in the Orient or Europe) the body of the scallop is needlessly discarded and only the mussel meat is served.
 
 

MEDITERRANEAN MUSSEL - (Mytilus galoprovincealis) All Year Round

25 - 30ct/lb, 25 lb/bu.

This is a winter spawning, rope cultured black mussel that is known for its plump, sweet meats. It is one of two European species now being cultured on the West Coast. They are grown in southern Puget Sounds' Totten Inlet, on ropes suspended from rafts in about sixty feet of water. Totten Inlet is very high in nutrients. This results in very fast growth rates and the mussels grown here tend to be larger than other rope cultured mussels on the market. As with other rope-cultured mussels, they are clean and free of grit since they never touch the bottom. These mussels are also available in the raw, shucked form, which are packed in half-gallon containers.
 
 

PENN COVE MUSSEL - (Mytilis trossulus) June - November

30 - 40ct/lb, 25 lb/bu.

These rope-cultured mussels are of the second European species. Because they are rope cultured, they are very clean inside and out and have an excellent meat yield. The flavor of the Penn Cove's are very sweet and, if not over cooked, very tender. Penn Cove's have won awards throughout the country and in Europe for their superior flavor. Penn Cove's are a winter or spring spawning mussel, making them excellent during the summer.
 
 

DUNGENESS CRAB - (Cancer magister) All Year Round

5 lbs/can - frozen meat, 40lb box (approx. 20 crab) - live

Named after a small fishing village in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington. It is the most important crab harvested on the West Coast and one of the most important fisheries. The fresh meat is packed with the percentage of body (white meat) meat to leg and claw meat (red meat) at 60/40. Dungeness Crab is said to be the most favorite crab of culinary giants James Beard and Julia Child. The meat has an appealing, sweet taste that is very popular... the West Coast's answer to lobster.
 
 

GOOSENECK BARNACLE - (Mitella pollicipes) All Year Round

20 - 25ct/lb

These barnacles are a crustacean harvested by hand off the West Coast of Vancouver Island. They grow on rocks in the intertidal zone. Gooseneck barnacles are virtually unknown in this country but are appreciated with enormous enthusiasm in Spain and Portugal. These extraordinary creatures consist of a tube of meat, about the thickness of a finger, covered with a dark leather-like skin. On this is mounted a sort of hoof, a pair of white bony pads, under which the animal resides. When served, the outer skin is peeled off and all the meat below the hoof is eaten. They can be served raw, as in a ceviche or cocktail, or boiled first for about a minute and a half, and then peeled. Gooseneck barnacles have a wonderful crab-like flavor with a scallop-like texture and are particularly delicious during the summer when they are full of eggs.

Copyright Marinelli Shellfish 1996