Totten Inlet
Crassostrea gigas
Legendary Pacific oyster from South Puget Sound's most renowned fattening grounds. Intensely rich and plump with bold briny flavor, buttery texture, and distinctive seaweed notes that made Totten Inlet famous worldwide.
Flavor Profile
Finish
Bold, buttery with subtle sweetness
Expert Notes
Totten Inlet has been recognized for over a century as the richest oyster fattening grounds in the world. Located at the southern end of Puget Sound, its algae-thick waters produce ridiculously plump oysters with intense flavor reminiscent of bacon fat and foie gras. These Pacific oysters develop a rich, seaweed-forward character that's stronger and saltier than neighboring Little Skookum, with the perfect combination of mudflat algae and deeper water phytoplankton creating a bold yet balanced maritime flavor. Origin & Characteristics
- Species
- Crassostrea gigas
- Native to
- Japan
- Grown in
- Totten Inlet, South Puget Sound, Washington
- Size
- Medium (2-3 inches)
- Shell Color
- Barnacle-encrusted white to gray
- Meat Color
- Cream to plump golden
What Experts Say
Across 10 sources, tasters describe this oyster as:
Unique notes: watermelon, nori, buttery finish, cucumbery crispness, firm texture
"Totten Inlet produces oysters with the rich seaweedy flavor South Sound is famous for, but a bit saltier and less earthy than Little Skookum. The resulting oyster is the perfect combination of flavors—strong, but still sea."
seaweedysaltyrichstrong
"Crisp with a firm texture and heavy briny flavors, which lead to a buttery taste, with a hint of sweetness at the finish."
crispfirmbrinybutterysweet
"Great meat fill, creamy, and had its wonderful signature melon seaweed finish."
creamymelonseaweed
"Medium brine with sweet watermelon accents. The signature melon and seaweed flavors. With their relatively deep cup, you can expect a mouthful of creamy goodness."
medium brinesweetwatermelonmelonseaweed
"It takes the firm/briny Atlantic thing and somehow injects that into the sweet/fruity Pacific thing. It brings it all together into one thing of beauty."
firmbrinysweetfruity
"Picture the difference between a homemade fish stock and canned broth. That extra depth is the difference between Totten Inlet Virginicas and other oysters."
deepcomplex
About the Farm
Taylor Shellfish Farms
Est. 1890Taylor Shellfish Farms traces its beginnings back to 1890, when the great-great-grandfather of the current owners began farming native Olympia oysters in the clean, bracing waters of Puget Sound's Totten Inlet.
- Cultivation Method
- beach grown
- Certifications
- Food Alliance Certified
History & Background
Totten Inlet has been historically significant for oyster farming since the 1860s with the Olympia Oyster. The Taylor Shellfish Farms lineage began there in 1890 and it remains a key site for oyster cultivation. The Eastern oyster (Virginica) was introduced to the Pacific Coast in the 1890s and thrives exclusively in Totten Inlet's unique conditions.
Totten Inlet is one of the most renowned fattening grounds in South Puget Sound. The Totten Inlet Virginica (TIV) is considered one of the rarest and most sought-after oysters in the country, winning the Best Flavor award at the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association competition.
Did You Know?
- The Eastern oyster (Virginica) only thrives in the Pacific on the beaches of Totten Inlet where algae-rich waters from Little Skookum inlet mix with deeper Puget Sound waters
- Totten Inlet Virginica oysters were served in Shinjuku, Tokyo, demonstrating their international reputation
- Supply of TIV regularly cannot meet demand due to the challenges of getting a virginica to thrive on the west coast
Sources & References
This information was compiled from 10 sources.
- Totten Inlet - The Oyster Guide — oysterguide.com
- Totten Inlet Virginica Oysters - Taylor Shellfish Farms — taylorshellfishfarms.com
- Shuck of the Week: Standish Shore and Totten Inlet Oysters — pangeashellfish.com
- Totten Inlet Oyster — Oysterology Online — pangeashellfish.com
- Totten Inlet Virginica - Oysterater — oysterater.com
- The Saga of the Totten Inlet Virginica — oysterguide.com
- Client Spotlight: Taylor Shellfish Farms — foodalliance.org
- About Us - Taylor Shellfish Farms — taylorshellfishfarms.com
- Totten Inlet Oysters - The Oyster Encyclopedia — oysterencyclopedia.com
- Totten Inlet - Fortune Fish — fortunefishco.net
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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
Read article → Merroir & EnvironmentWhat is Merroir? The Science of How Environment Shapes Oyster Flavor
Understanding merroir - the marine equivalent of terroir - and how water chemistry creates flavor
Read article →