Blue Pool
Crassostrea gigas
Tumbled Pacific oyster from Hood Canal's Hamma Hama River. Deep-cupped with smooth shells, featuring a creamy, crunchy texture and complex flavor profile of cucumber, crisp brine, and a distinctive sweet-vegetal finish.
Flavor Profile
Finish
Sweet and vegetal with crisp lettuce or carrot notes
Expert Notes
Blue Pool oysters are tumbled Pacific oysters that showcase the pristine waters of Hood Canal's deep tideland. Named after a glacier-blue swimming hole on the Hamma Hamma River, these boutique oysters deliver the clean crispness evoked by their namesake. The tumbling cultivation gives them exceptional body and depth, with a creamy, crunchy texture and complex flavor profile featuring cucumber, savory brine crisper than traditional Hama Hama's, and a distinctive sweet-vegetal finish reminiscent of fresh carrot or crisp lettuce. Their rich algae diet from deep tideland waters contributes to their unique vegetal character. Origin & Characteristics
- Species
- Crassostrea gigas
- Native to
- Japan
- Grown in
- Hamma Hamma River, Hood Canal, Washington
- Size
- Small to Medium (2-3 inches)
- Shell Color
- Smooth, lighter colored
- Meat Color
- Cream to light gray
What Experts Say
Across 10 sources, tasters describe this oyster as:
Unique notes: bacon fat, foie gras, glacier till, pronounced vegetable aftertaste
"These tumbled beauties grown on the Hama Hama Farm offer a new take on the crisp, bright flavors that characterize our farm. Tumbling gives them a deep cup and a smoother shell for easier shucking and better presentation. It also changes their flavor by giving them access to a different community of algae: Blue Pools have more body and depth of flavor than our beach grown oysters, with a finish that leans towards carrot or crisp lettuce."
crispbrightcarrotlettucebody
"They are tide-tumbled causing them to develop a deep cupped solid shell with crunchy textured oyster meat. They are finished far from the mouth of the river close to the intersection of marine and river currents exposing the oyster to nutrient rich glacier till and giving it a pronounced vegetable aftertaste."
crunchyvegetablepronounced vegetable aftertaste
"Blue Pool won the North American Oyster Showcase blind tasting with a score of 92 out of 100, defeating all other oysters from across North America. The panel noted these intensely tumbled oysters from Washington state as extraordinary."
extraordinaryintensely tumbled
"Goose Point Blue Pool Chelsea Gem Totten Inlet Puget Sound, Washington Barnacle-encrusted shells open to reveal ridiculously plump oysters with an intense flavor reminiscent of bacon fat and foie gras."
intensebacon fatfoie grasplumprich
"The Blue Pools – a Pacific Oyster that's been cultivated, tumbled and raised to have a smooth shell and deep cup housing a plump, juicy mollusk inside. It delivers a gentle, vegetal flavor marinated in..."
gentlevegetalplumpjuicy
"Hama Hama oysters have a subtle cucumber flavor, while the farm's Blue Pool oysters are rounder and plumper, with sweet carrot notes."
sweetcarrotplumpround
"Blue Pool oysters are a relatively new bi-valve to hit the oyster scene. Cultivated in central Hood Canal, Washington by Hama Hama's Adam and Lissa James (brother and sister) they first hit the market... Known for their pronounced vegetable aftertaste."
vegetablepronounced
About the Farm
Hama Hama Oyster Company
Est. 1922Family-run oyster farm operating for over 100 years on Hood Canal. Started as a shucking house, added a farm store in the 1970s, and evolved into a dynamic operation with mail order and online store. Siblings Adam and Lissa James continue the family tradition.
- Cultivation Method
- tumbled
History & Background
Blue Pool oysters were developed by Hama Hama Oyster Company and first commercially farmed in the 1980s. The variety is named after a gorgeous, very deep glacier blue pool up the Hamma Hamma River. In 2015, Blue Pool won the prestigious North American Oyster Showcase blind tasting, scoring 92 out of 100 points and being declared the best oyster in America.
Blue Pool oysters represent the cutting edge of Pacific Northwest oyster aquaculture, showcasing how tumbling methods can dramatically affect flavor and appearance. They are celebrated in the Hood Canal region and have gained national recognition among oyster connoisseurs.
Did You Know?
- Named after a deep glacier blue pool in the Hamma Hamma River
- Won 'Best Oyster in America' at the 2015 North American Oyster Showcase with 92/100 points
- The top three oysters in that competition were all intensely tumbled Pacific Northwest oysters
- Rowan Jacobsen declared them 'best oyster in America until proven otherwise'
Sources & References
This information was compiled from 10 sources.
- Blue Pool® Oyster Flavor Profile — Hama Hama Oyster Company
- Oysters - West Coast - Crassostrea gigas | Blue Pool — Fortune Fish & Gourmet
- Blue Pool and Shigoku Take Best Oysters Prize — Oyster Guide
- Oysters & Chablis: A Pairing Guide — Oyster Guide
- Hama Hama Oysters — AFAR Magazine
- Geeking out in the Hama Hama Oyster Class — Foodwalkers
- Blue Pool Oysters — Chef's Resources
- Hama Hama Oyster Story — Hama Hama Oyster Company
- A centennial retrospective with Hama Hama Oysters — Kinute
- Growing Method — Hama Hama Oyster Company
Learn More
The Big Five: A Complete Guide to Commercial Oyster Species
Comprehensive guide to C. virginica (Atlantic), C. gigas (Pacific), C. sikamea (Kumamoto), O. lurida (Olympia), and O. edulis (European Flat)
Read article → Biology & SpeciesThe Pacific Oyster (C. gigas): Cream, Cucumber, and the Japanese Legacy
Understanding the world's most cultivated oyster - from Japanese origins to West Coast dominance
Read article → Merroir & EnvironmentWhat is Merroir? The Science of How Environment Shapes Oyster Flavor
Understanding merroir - the marine equivalent of terroir - and how water chemistry creates flavor
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