Flying Point
Crassostrea virginica
A full-bodied Maine oyster from Maquoit Bay. Plump with balanced salinity, sweet and salty finish. Grown on tidal mud flats where ocean brine meets nutrient-rich wetland waters.
Flavor Profile
Finish
Sweet and salty, lasting sweetness
Expert Notes
Flying Point oysters are cultivated by a husband-and-wife team in the dynamic tidal environment of Maquoit Bay, where strong incoming tides deliver cold, briny ocean water while swift outgoing tides provide rich nutrients from northern wetlands. Starting in upwellers at the mouth of the Royal River and finishing on hard-packed mud flats, these oysters develop a full-bodied, plump character with balanced salinity. The result is a robust Maine oyster with a distinctive sweet-to-salty flavor profile and lasting sweetness that reflects nearly 20 years of dedicated cultivation. Origin & Characteristics
- Species
- Crassostrea virginica
- Native to
- USA
- Grown in
- Maquoit Bay, Casco Bay, Freeport, Maine
- Size
- Small to Medium (2-4 inches)
- Shell Color
- Green to gray-white
- Meat Color
- Ivory to light brown
What Experts Say
Across 8 sources, tasters describe this oyster as:
Unique notes: transparent, fading finish, complex, muddy
"Lightweights of the oyster world, these had nice flavor and perfect salinity but were small, almost transparent, and quite innocuous. They didn't hold their liquor well and had no body."
mildperfect salinitylight-bodiedtransparent
"Flying Point oysters are farmed by a husband and wife team in Freeport, Maine. These oysters derive their complex, salty/sweet flavor from the waters in which they are grown. Strong, incoming tides nourish them with cold, briny ocean water. Swift outgoing tides provide them with a rich array of nutrients from the vast wetlands to the north of the growout site."
complexsaltysweetbriny
"Flying Point Oysters derive their complex, salty/sweet flavor from the waters in which they are grown. Strong, incoming tides nourish them with cold, briny ocean water. Swift outgoing tides provide them with a rich array of nutrients from the vast wetlands."
complexsaltysweetbriny
"Had six between two of us. Two were a little muddy, but the rest were pretty good. Very mild flavor, worked with both mignonette and cocktail sauce."
mildmuddy
"Great eating oyster: firm hinge allows easy opening, pristine growing environment yields a delicious flavor. I only wish their outside was washed of mud before arrival."
deliciousclean
"Flying Points have a mild salinity and a clean, fading finish."
mild salinitycleanfading finish
"This round, deep cupped oyster is nursed in Maquoit Bay and farmed in Casco Bay in Freeport. Being trimmed and cleaned makes the Flying Point visually appealing."
rounddeep cuppedclean
About the Farm
Maine Oysters, Inc / Flying Point Oyster Farm
Est. 2000Founded by husband and wife team Eric Horne and Valy Steverlynck, who moved from Boston to Freeport, Maine seeking a more balanced lifestyle and to create their own enterprise working together on the water.
- Cultivation Method
- bottom culture
History & Background
Flying Point Oyster Farm was established in 2000 by Eric Horne and Valy Steverlynck in Maquoit Bay near Flying Point, a peninsula that juts into the water near Freeport, Maine.
Part of Maine's growing oyster farming tradition, these oysters benefit from the state's pristine shoreline, strong tides, and ice-cold waters that have made Maine a reliable source for premium quality seafood for centuries.
Did You Know?
- Named after Flying Point, a peninsula in Freeport, Maine
- Grown in protected upwellers until 1.5 inches, then bottom-planted
- The farm is run by a husband and wife team who collect between 200,000 oysters annually
- Valy Steverlynck also teaches art at L'Ecole Française du Maine
Sources & References
This information was compiled from 8 sources.
- Maine Oyster Roundup — The Oyster Guide
- Flying Point Oyster — Oysterater
- OYSTERS — Elm Square Oyster Co
- Flying Point Oysters — L'Ecole Française du Maine
- Flying Point Oysters — Atlantic Aqua Farms USA
- Flying Point Oysters — The Oyster Encyclopedia
- Oysters — Cape Cod Shellfish
- Flying Point Oysters — The Maine Oyster Company
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