Elkhorn

"Speckled white and black shells, tinged with green, bumpy with barnacles, make Elkhorns among the more rustic-looking oysters. They're not prettified or citified. They are, however, meaty and briny, even mineral and musky, the strongest flavored of Willapa oysters. Impressive and worth a try."

meatybrinymineralmuskystrong

"The gritty and bumpy exterior gave way to smooth, plush, and briny meat. Upon some chewy, I discovered a complex mix of vegetal and mineral flavors. A faint bitterness gave this oyster a new kind of edginess that I haven't come across in many West Coast varieties."

brinyvegetalmineralbitterplush

"Grown in Willapa Bay on the Washington coast, the Elkhorn Oysters have a firm meat with a high brininess and sweet flavor. This rustic-looking oyster spend part of everyday in the open air as the tide recedes. Their hard sturdy shells and barnacles protect them from predators and rough tides. You put your work in opening these shells, but the melon finish is worth the fight."

brinysweetmelonfirm

"beach grown by Elkhorn Oyster Company; meaty, intense, strong flavor, earthy finish"

meatyintensestrongearthy

"Large, very meaty, and fairly difficult to shuck as I've only seen them cultch grown. Good in the winter, but become pretty soft in summer."

meaty

"robust, briny flavor with a sweet, melon finish. They are large, rustic, and firm."

robustbrinysweetmelonfirm