Something fishy with Simon Rhodes from Lobsterpot Fishmongers, Wood Street Food Hall

DID you know that worldwide around two billion pounds of oysters are eaten every year? In Whitstable in Kent they get through around 30,000 alone just during the Oyster Festival.

Oysters are a fantastic starter to any meal; they are light, easy to prepare and taste absolutely delicious fresh, and seasoned with a number of accompaniments.

Oysters have been around for a long time and the first recording of the word ‘shuck’ was in 1881. Apparently they were a delicacy in London in those days and very popular.

The saying “the world’s your oyster” comes from Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor: “The world’s mine oyster which I with sword will open.”

It is a myth that they are an aphrodisiac; however they do contain rare amino acids that help with reproduction. The myth was also probably fuelled by the fact that the famous 18th century Italian lover Casanova was very fond of them, and it is believed that he ate about 50 oysters at the start of the day.

The shells are also great for helping your garden flourish. The reason for this is calcium, and the oyster shell is full of it. This chemical can improve the soil’s pH balance, adds nutrients to the plants and strengthens their cell walls, all of which leads to healthy produce and brighter flowers. So next time, think twice about throwing the shells away and use them as fertilizer instead.

Each oyster filters about 30 to 50 gallons of water a day! Think of how much water a whole bed of those awesome bivalves are cleaning, which makes these not only tasty creatures, but good-for-the-environment as well.

Before they are sold oysters are harvested and purged in a clean lake or pond for several days and are then subjected to a UV light to kill off any bacteria.

So when you eat a live oyster you can be assured that as long as they have been kept in proper conditions that oyster should be fresh, tasty and clean. They are incredibly healthy for us too as they contain zinc and essential minerals which means they are also good for your skin and immune system. So, the next time you see someone who looks incredibly healthy, with lots of kids and a fantastic garden - you can bet they are big oyster eaters! Happy shucking everyone.