International Controversy?

     Back in May as I was strolling along the shops on Granville Island in Vancouver, BC I came across a fishmonger aptly named The Lobster Man.  Walking through his market I gazed upon tanks of all manner of fresh seafood: lobsters, mussels, crabs, clams and oysters.  All had been harvested from local waters that day.  But I was shocked when I came across a tank filled with oysters from Washington State.  It seemed to me that our Canadian neighbors had given them a derisive name, Fat Bastards, and I was concerned that this might spark a feud among fellow North Americans.

     But it turns out that my fears were for naught.  Seems that this new oyster is one of the hottest bivales in the Northwest and also goes by the moniker of Shigoku which is Japanese for "Ultimate."


The Lobster Man describes them this way: 
     Naturally tumbled twice a day by the tide, they develop a deep cup and plump meat.  The smooth shaped shell is easy to open.  Fat Bastards have a clean, firm and briny bite, salty with a hint of cucumber and asparagus.  Their texture is firm and smooth with a light metallic finish and a rich rounded aftertaste.



     If I didn't know better I'd say that was a description of a fine wine.