Nassawaddox Salt
Crassostrea virginica
A balanced bayside Chesapeake oyster from Virginia's Eastern Shore. Grown in Nassawaddox Creek's moderate salinity waters, offering a meaty texture with rounded minerality, moderate brine, and cucumber-sweet notes.
Flavor Profile
Finish
Smooth, rounded minerality with lingering sweetness
Expert Notes
Nassawaddox Salt oysters are cultivated in off-bottom cages by Shooting Point Oyster Company in Nassawaddox Creek, where Atlantic saltwater mixes with the creek's marshier, less saline waters. This unique bayside location creates a moderate salinity (20-25 ppt) that produces a beautifully balanced oyster with resilient, meaty texture and rounded minerality. The flavor shifts with temperature—cooler oysters emphasize sweetness and cucumber notes, while warmer ones showcase earthy, molluscan character. Origin & Characteristics
- Species
- Crassostrea virginica
- Native to
- USA
- Grown in
- Nassawaddox Creek, Eastern Shore, Virginia, Lower Chesapeake Bay
- Size
- Medium (2.5-3.5 inches)
- Shell Color
- Gray-white with bronze striping
- Meat Color
- Light gray to cream
What Experts Say
Across 5 sources, tasters describe this oyster as:
Unique notes: delicate mineral finish, balanced
"Raised in off-bottom cages in the lower Chesapeake waters of Virginia's Eastern Shore. Moderate salinity, small size."
moderate salinity
"Nassawaddox Salt oysters have a pronounced briny taste, balanced with subtle sweetness and a delicate mineral finish. They are small, Eastern oysters from Chesapeake Bay, Virginia. Their flavor profile is shaped by moderate salinity and firm texture."
brinysweetmineralfirm texture
About the Farm
Grown in Nassawaddox Creek's moderate salinity waters on Virginia's Eastern Shore in the lower Chesapeake Bay region.
- Cultivation Method
- off-bottom cages
History & Background
Eastern oyster variety from the Chesapeake Bay, cultivated in the historic oyster-growing waters of Virginia's Eastern Shore.
Part of the Chesapeake Bay's rich oyster heritage, coming from an area known for balanced bayside oysters with regional terroir characteristics.
Did You Know?
- Named after Nassawaddox Creek on Virginia's Eastern Shore
- Grown in off-bottom cages which produces cleaner shells and more consistent meat quality
Sources & References
This information was compiled from 5 sources.
- Nassawaddox Salt Oyster - Oysterater — oysterater.com
- OysterFinder - The Oyster Guide — oysterguide.com
- All About Oysters - Cameron's Seafood — cameronsseafood.com
- Oyster Flavor Profiles: How Environment Shapes Taste — oysterencyclopedia.com
- Oyster Terroir: Mapping Regional Flavor Signatures — gemtaste.com
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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 Atlantic Oyster (C. virginica): From Maritime Brine to Gulf Sweetness
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Understanding merroir - the marine equivalent of terroir - and how water chemistry creates flavor
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