Read Island
Crassostrea gigas
Extra-small tray-grown Pacific oyster from British Columbia's Discovery Islands. Mild and fresh with a sweet finish and delicate shells. Deep-cupped with clean, refined flavor perfect for raw service.
Flavor Profile
Finish
Sweet, clean, refreshing
Expert Notes
Read Island oysters are tray-grown in the deep, cold waters of British Columbia's Discovery Islands Archipelago, resulting in delicate shells with characteristic deep cups. Their extra-small size concentrates a mild, fresh flavor profile with notable sweetness that shines particularly when served raw on the half-shell. The combination of deepwater and tray cultivation methods produces oysters with a clean, crisp finish and refined character typical of premium BC Pacific oysters. Origin & Characteristics
- Species
- Crassostrea gigas
- Native to
- Japan
- Grown in
- Read Island, Discovery Islands Archipelago, British Columbia
- Size
- Extra Small (2.5-3 inches)
- Shell Color
- Delicate, polished white
- Meat Color
- Pale cream
What Experts Say
Across 8 sources, tasters describe this oyster as:
Unique notes: plump fatty flesh, hearty, refreshing
"Beach Angels from Read Island were my favorite with its plump fatty flesh and pleasant briny finish."
brinyplumpfatty
"These are farm raised, beach grown oysters. These oysters are grown on gravelly pebbles and this condition produces a clean hearty oyster."
cleanhearty
"Tray-grown in the deep waters off Read island, in BC's Discovery Island Archipelago, Read Islands have the delicate shells and deep cups typical of tray-grown Pacific oysters."
delicate
"Sawmill Bay Oysters from glacier fed waters on Read Island... divine!"
cleanfresh
"Meaty and satisfying. Not completely leaning briney or creamy. Delightful, no filling and refreshing with a little sweetness on the back end."
meatybrinycreamyrefreshingsweet
About the Farm
Oysters are tray-grown in the deep waters off Read Island, a remote island with only 50 inhabitants in BC's Discovery Islands Archipelago.
- Cultivation Method
- suspended culture
History & Background
Read Island is named after Captain William Viner Read and was designated in 1864. The island is part of British Columbia's Discovery Islands between Vancouver Island and the mainland.
Read Island has a population of only 50 people, making it one of the most remote and pristine oyster farming locations in British Columbia.
Did You Know?
- Read Island has a population of only 50 inhabitants
- The oysters grow in glacier-fed waters
- Multiple oyster varieties are grown on Read Island, including Beach Angels and Sawmill Bay oysters
Sources & References
This information was compiled from 8 sources.
- Read Island Oyster - Oysterater — Oysterater
- Canada- Restaurants | TOMOSTYLE — TOMOSTYLE
- West Coast Oysters - Wild Edibles — Wild Edibles
- Sawmill Bay Oyster — Oysterater
- Sawmill Bay Oysters… Divine! — Just a Smidgen
- An Expert's Guide to Canadian Live Oysters — Intercity Packers
- Read Island - Wikipedia — Wikipedia
- A West Coast Oyster Experience — Edible Vancouver Island
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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 Pacific Oyster (C. gigas): Cream, Cucumber, and the Japanese Legacy
Understanding the world's most cultivated oyster - from Japanese origins to West Coast dominance
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Understanding merroir - the marine equivalent of terroir - and how water chemistry creates flavor
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