Portrait of an Oyster
A Natural History of an Epicurean Delight
A decadent horror story (for the oyster) narrated with awe and gusto, Andreas Ammer’s Portrait of an Oyster is must for all who find their joy on the half shell.
Once “a cheap form of nourishment” twice consumed to near extinction, oysters are now creatures with “more in common with art than with food,” Ammer says. Covering the veiled stories of oysters from conception to plate throughout history, his text is both informative and seductive. It discusses oyster classifications, farming, and breeding; covers a visit to a French restaurant led by an oyster “maestro”; and comments on oysters consumed in settings from Noma to Normandy. Undergirding this work is the violent, sensual opening scene, which narrates a slim feast of twelve: Shucked, their muscles severed, they wait, naked, to be adorned with lemon juice and consumed alive.
Lauding “the unique, clear taste of the sea” that the creatures carry, the book also waxes philosophical: “whosoever contemplates an oyster, contemplates themselves.” What cannot be known about the sightless, simple oyster is manifold, including about the “heavenly,” consumptive lives they lead before their shells are opened, and about whether or not they feel pain. Mysterious to the end, down they go, one by one, with a tender slurp and a final bite.
Funny, thoughtful, and tastebud-piquing, Portrait of an Oyster is a celebratory tribute to the “bewitching” mollusk that transforms dining experiences from ordinary to great.
Reviewed by
Michelle Anne Schingler
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
