North Haven
Crassostrea virginica
A distinctive Maine oyster from North Haven Island. Round and heavy with bright emerald green shells. Perfectly balanced earthiness and brine with honey and melon notes, finishing clean and mellow.
Flavor Profile
Finish
Calm, clean, mellow melon-like finish
Expert Notes
North Haven oysters are grown in a unique brackish tidal inlet where freshwater from Hightie's Pond meets the incoming tide from Penobscot Bay. This magical environment produces round, heavy oysters with striking emerald green shells. The flavor profile perfectly balances earthiness and brine, with distinctive honey and melon notes that reflect the pond's variable salinity. The taste varies with rainfall, creating a dynamic terroir that showcases Maine's pristine coastal waters. Origin & Characteristics
- Species
- Crassostrea virginica
- Native to
- USA
- Grown in
- North Haven Island, Maine, Penobscot Bay, Maine
- Size
- Medium (2.5-4 inches)
- Shell Color
- Bright emerald green
- Meat Color
- Cream to light gray
What Experts Say
Across 9 sources, tasters describe this oyster as:
Unique notes: sweet-cream richness, earthiness, luscious liquor, salty crispness, calm finish
"North Haven oysters are 3 inch, deep cupped and strong-shelled beauties. Their flavor profile is complex, with a balanced brine, and sweet-cream richness."
balanced brinesweet-creamcomplex
"These are my favourite east coaster. Brilliant green shells that are a joy to shuck (no shattering, splintering, or cracking). Not very large but the flavor is incredible. I like that they are salty but not over the top so the liquor is really luscious. Nice firm meats. Just a totally beautiful, perfect oyster in my book."
saltylusciousfirm
"Very nice oyster with great brine and sweet finish. Lovely green hue to the shells as well, and they shuck cleanly."
brinysweet
"This oyster is sourced through a family operation in Maine, known for complex buttery and nutty flavor with a pleasing briny finish."
butterynuttybriny
"All of North Haven Island's natural wonders come together to produce a bright green shell, when shucked, tastes of the perfect balance of earthiness and brine, with a calm, clean finish."
earthybrinycleancalm
"Medium brine, complex, finishes really sweet."
medium brinecomplexsweet
"In the cold waters of that protected estuary, the oysters grow slow, and it takes four years for a North Haven to reach market size. By then, it has achieved that firm, salty crispness that I adore in the best Maine oysters."
firmsaltycrisp
About the Farm
North Haven Oyster Company
Founded by Adam Campbell, the first person to farm oysters on North Haven Island. Adam is a man of many skills—sea urchin harvester, fisherman, and local wise man who understands what oysters need and what they don't need, allowing the environment to reach its fullest potential.
- Cultivation Method
- bottom culture
History & Background
Adam Campbell was the first person to try and farm oysters on North Haven Island. Oyster shells dating back thousands of years have been found on North Haven—evidence that the Red Paint People (Pre-Algonkians) had long been consuming wild oysters from those waters.
North Haven oysters are grown in Heidi's Pond (also called Hittie's Pond), an old natural salt pond in pristine Pulpit Harbor on North Haven Island, 12 miles off the Maine coast. The pond fills and empties with the tides twice daily, creating ideal growing conditions.
Did You Know?
- North Haven is one of Maine's fourteen unbridged island communities with a year-round population of only 355 people
- The oysters take 3-4 years to reach market size due to the cold waters
- North Haven Oyster Company completed Maine's first plastic-free oyster growing season, pioneering sustainable gear alternatives
- The farm sits in a picturesque location surrounded by rolling hills of tall meadow grass, described as looking like a Wyeth painting come to life
Sources & References
This information was compiled from 9 sources.
- Growing Oysters in Oyster Nirvana: The Story of North Haven Oyster Co — The Briny Babe
- North Haven Oyster — Oysterater
- North Haven Oysters from North Haven, ME — Island Creek Oysters
- Maine Oyster Festival — Oyster Guide
- Oyster Land — Down East Magazine
- Shuck in the Middle with You | Five Oysters to Eat Right Now — UrbanDaddy
- Maine oyster firms North Haven, Deer Isle complete first plastic-free growing season — SeafoodSource
- Live Oysters — Fortune Fish Co
- About Us — North Haven Oyster Co
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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)
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