Galveston Bay

"Mouth-wateringly salty, sweet and chewy, with lingering flavors of asparagus and green bean and a strong umami sea taste on the back of the palate. Twice as big and twice as firm as most East Coasters. The crinkled bill is the sign of an oyster grown in a high-salinity environment, and it guarantees a good hit of salt."

saltysweetchewyasparagusgreen bean

"East Galveston Bay reefs famous for their brininess. Oysters of the fat and creamy variety were found farther north in Trinity Bay. Gulf oysters from the right spot can compete with any in the country, and can certainly outsize them all (making them the best cooking oyster by far)."

brinyfatcreamy

"Oysters from Galveston Bay are prized for their briny, fresh flavor and firm texture. Thanks to the bay's unique combination of fresh and saltwater, these oysters develop a distinct taste profile."

brinyfreshfirm

"East Galveston Bay oyster reefs produce saltier oysters. Oysters harvested farther to the west, away from the Gulf's saltwater inflow, taste less briny and tend to be fatter and sweeter than East Bay oysters. Central Galveston Bay oysters are, naturally, somewhere in the middle. Gulf oysters are at their biggest and sweetest from January to March."

saltybrinyfatsweet

"The East Bay oysters, especially those from Pepper Grove, Elm Grove and Ladies' Pass were the most popular among the tasters. These were the southernmost reefs represented and the oysters were the briniest. Trinity Bay oysters were bigger, fatter and sweeter with creamy-colored and completely opaque appearance, but less briny. The Central Galveston Bay oysters struck a lovely balance on the salty and sweet scales."

brinyfatsweetcreamybalanced

"I savored the wonderfully slick texture. Snappy Galveston bivalves proved that Gulf oysters from the right spot can compete with any in the country."

slicksnappy