“Connoisseurs consider Olympias gods among oysters; the flavor is coppery and deep, conjuring up an ephemeral connection to the land and the culture that dates back thousands of years. To slurp an Olympia is to take in the water of Puget Sound and experience the same sensations as a native tribesman five hundred years ago; as a weary pioneer who had never tasted the ocean’s bounty; as a lucky Gold Rush prospector celebrating his unbelievable fortune. It’s a taste we need to preserve for future generations, so they can experience the same sense of where they came from and understand that importance can sometimes come in a tiny package.”
--Anna Roth https://edibleseattle.com/a-god-among-oysters/
Where to Buy or Eat:
https://buy.taylorshellfishfarms.com/catalog/product/oysters/olympia-oysters
Links to Oly reviews in food magazines or on the web:
This piece for Eater Magazine (Seattle) is a great overview of Olys through the food lens:
https://www.eater.com/2017/2/10/14570190/olympia-oysters-where-to-find
A similar piece from Sunset Magazine
https://www.sunset.com/travel/northwest/olympia-oyster
Rowen Jacobsen’s Online Guide to Oysters
(Rowan is essentially the American dean of oysters - with at least three books.)
https://www.oysterguide.com/maps/hood-canal-and-southern-puget-sound/olympia/
Hog Island Oysters info on Olys:
https://hogislandoysters.com/news/article/hog-island-oyster-co.-welcomes-the-olympia-oyster
Smithsonian article:
Anna Roth’s review of Olys:
https://edibleseattle.com/a-god-among-oysters/
Slow Food Ark of Taste designation:
https://www.slowfoodusa.org/ark-item/olympia-native-oyster