Caminada Bay
Crassostrea virginica
Giant, meaty Gulf oyster from Louisiana's Barataria Bay. Strong earthy brininess with unique minerality from freshwater influence. Grown in off-bottom cages, perfect for raw or fried in classic po'boys.
Flavor Profile
Finish
Strong, earthy, lingering minerality
Expert Notes
Caminada Bay oysters are giant, meaty specimens grown in off-bottom cages in western Barataria Bay. The strong freshwater influence from the Mississippi River reduces salinity while allowing their unique minerality to shine through. These robust oysters deliver a strong, earthy brininess with a rich, tender texture that makes them ideal for both raw consumption and frying. They represent the closest farmed oyster to wild Louisiana oysters, with a distinctive Gulf character perfect for po'boys. Origin & Characteristics
- Species
- Crassostrea virginica
- Native to
- USA
- Grown in
- Caminada Bay, Barataria Bay, Grand Isle, Louisiana
- Size
- Large (3-5 inches)
- Shell Color
- Gray-white to golden
- Meat Color
- Cream to light gray
What Experts Say
Across 8 sources, tasters describe this oyster as:
Unique notes: herbal, veggie broth, creamy, vibrant
"Had them at borgne. They were as large as gulf oysters. Very clean flavor profile. Not salty like the gulf oysters I am used to. Hard to describe but they were almost creamy."
cleancreamynot salty
"We guarantee a fresh, world class, gourmet oyster with an herbal sweet & salty flavor—from the high salinity of Caminada Bay. The deeper cup to the shell holds the oyster's saline juices, making them highly 'slurpable'."
herbalsweetsaltybriny
"The flavor of these oysters was clean, pleasant, not very salty, with a nice little veggie broth finish. The texture was amazing–firm, firm, firm."
cleanpleasantnot very saltyveggie brothfirm
"Our oysters have floral notes, with a hint of salt and a meaty, firm texture."
floralsaltymeatyfirm
"Our oysters are nice, sweet and salty with a floral flavor. Raw oysters are the best, nothing else. These oysters have a vibrant flavor."
sweetsaltyfloralvibrant
About the Farm
Grand Isle Premium Oysters / Caminada Bay Premium Oysters
Family business run by Marcos Guerrero, his wife Lali, and sons Aldo and Boris. The Guerrero family moved from Ecuador where Marcos farmed organic sugar cane for 15 years. They are pioneers of off-bottom oyster cultivation in Louisiana using floating cage methods.
- Cultivation Method
- floating bags
History & Background
Caminada Bay oysters represent Louisiana's first commercially farmed off-bottom cultured oysters, breaking from the traditional bottom-culture methods used throughout the Gulf. The floating cage cultivation method, common on the East and West coasts but new to the Southeast, was introduced to Louisiana by the Guerrero family working with Louisiana Sea Grant and Dr. John Supan at the Grand Isle Oyster Hatchery.
These oysters grow in floating cages in Louisiana's first aquaculture park established in 2012, in the nutrient-rich shallow waters of Caminada Bay off Grand Isle. The area is part of Louisiana's historic oystering tradition but represents a modern innovation in Gulf oyster production.
Did You Know?
- Caminada Bay oysters mature in about half the time of deeper-water oysters due to growing in the bay's first twelve inches of water where nutrients thrive
- The oysters are routinely flipped and run through a machine to develop their distinctive deep cup shape
- Marcos Guerrero's son Bruno was tied to a pole in the family boat as a child while the family harvested oysters - before he could even walk
- These oysters feature an exceptionally large 'eye' (adductor muscle), sometimes as big as half the oyster, which is very unusual outside the Gulf
Sources & References
This information was compiled from 8 sources.
- Off-bottom Cultured Oysters Premiere at Crescent City Farmers Market — Louisiana Sea Grant
- Monster Louisiana Oysters (Caminada Bay) — The Oyster Guide
- The New Louisiana Oyster — Good Grit Magazine
- The Humble Oyster — Country Roads Magazine
- Caminada Bay Oysters. Who's Had Them? — Tiger Droppings
- Shucks! It's oyster time — The Daily Iberian
- Seeds of a New Science — 64 Parishes
- The Aristocratic Louisiana Oyster — Gulf Seafood News
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Learn More
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