For me, oysters are more than just a delicacy – they’re a briny bite of nostalgia that instantly whisk me back to my seaside home on Sydney’s eastern shores. Their familiar ocean-fresh taste is a reminder of sun-soaked days, sea-wrinkled skin, and long afternoons spent swimming in the big blue.

I may sound sentimental, but oysters do in fact reflect a sense of place, much like wine. The term used to encapsulate this is terroir, or in oyster speak, merroir. Author and oyster expert, Rowan Jacobsen, scientifically summed this up in a 2007 interview with Saveur: “Oysters draw all of their flavor from their environment; they literally breathe and eat water at a rate of 50 gallons a day. Obviously, whatever is in that water is going to affect the taste of the oyster,” he said. “I think of them as little lenses that concentrate everything going on in their bay or estuary and pack it into a morsel of flesh.” This is why in the U.S, East Coast oysters differ from their West Coast counterparts, and why you’ll find so many varying shapes, flavors, textures, and sizes from each region.

When it comes to eating oysters, I am a traditionalist and prefer them in their purest form – naked. There are a few accompaniments, though, that make them even better fully dressed; and while they can’t physically embody their origin in the same way as an unadorned oyster, they certainly help to paint the picture. 

My favorite is from Bennelong, an unbelievably special restaurant set beneath the sails of the Sydney Opera House, where oysters are paired with the perfect granita. Made from sugar, lemon, and pepper, the mix is frozen and delicately shaved into soft layers of ice. It’s an elegant take on the standard garnish of lemon wedge served at Aussie seafood-stands, yet maintains the delicious simplicity of summer in Sydney.

At Milady’s in New York City, oysters are served raw, baked, or in “shooter” form – drizzled with a piquant green sauce and presented atop a boozy pineapple shot. Chef Sam Sherman’s goal for the latter was to capture the essence of a trip he once took to Mexico. “The idea for this dish originally came while I was traveling in Mexico and had an afternoon aguachile that really spun my head around,” says Chef Sam. “I had just finished a 100 degree hike and the cold, spicy dish, paired with an ice cold beer, on that hot day hit me just right. Our recipe ended up landing pretty far from that original dish, but the roots are still there. The brininess of the oyster and the kick of the sauce really compliment the smokey richness of the mezcal and sherry in the shot. The pineapple bridges the two beautifully.”

At Mercy Me in D.C., diners are offered a taste of coastal Peru with a relish that’s typical of the Callao region: chalaca. Usually reserved for mussels, it’s been reinterpreted for the mollusk’s saltier sibling, bringing together a salsa-like mix of tomato, onion, aji amarillo pepper, and lime.

As National Oyster Day approaches on August 5th, it’s also worth celebrating all of the fun twists on the classic accompaniment of mignonette (vinegar, minced shallots, and pepper). In New York City, The Noortwyck’s mignonette is charged with horseradish and topped with dainty fig leaves; Fonico in Mexico City adds blended Chiltepin chilis; and in London, NoMad’s is steeped in pomegranate, hibiscus, and grapes.

If you’ve ever hesitated to add anything to oysters, as I once did, take this as a sign to create something new and try out the recipes below. They might just take you somewhere you’ve never been. After all, the world is your oyster.

Milady’s Oyster Shooters

• ½ bunch cilantro
• ¼ bunch parsley
• 1 small clove garlic
• ½ -¼  jalapeno (depending on how spicy you want it)
• ¼ cup pineapple juice
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• ½ tablespoon cider vinegar
• ½ tablespoon maple syrup
• Salt to taste

Method:
Blend all of the ingredients until smooth. Crack your favorite oysters and drop a teaspoon of the sauce into the middle of each one. Serve on ice if possible, with the shots (recipe below) on the side. This can’t be made too far ahead of time because the lime juice and vinegar will turn brown, so best to use day of.  

Oyster shooter shot (courtesy of Izzy Tulloch)

Ingredients:

• .25 oz pineapple
• 1 teaspoon lemon
• .5 oz East India sherry
• .75 oz Rosaluna mezcal

Method:

Shake and strain into a shot glass.

Mercy Me’s Oysters with Salsa Chalaca

Ingredients:

• 6 fresh oysters
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
• 1 aji amarillo pepper, finely chopped
• Juice of 2 limes
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Serve: Spoon the relish over the oysters and enjoy!rive

Prepare the oysters: Clean and shuck the oysters, then let them rest on ice.

Chop the vegetables: On a cutting board, chop the onions, tomatoes, and aji amarillo into small squares. Finely chop the cilantro.

Mix the relish: In a bowl, combine the chopped vegetables, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.