• Home
  • About Wandering Carol
  • Contact Us
  • About us

Luxury Travel Magazine

An unpretentious guide to luxury travel, culture and adventure

  • About Luxury travel
  • Destinations
  • Spas
    • The Spa and Spa Travel
    • Hot Springs Spas and Thermal Baths: Why You Should Visit One
    • Spa Towns in Europe – 8 Reasons You Should Visit
  • Popular Articles
    • Things to Do in Canada
    • Top European Destinations
    • Things to Do in the South of France
    • Travel and Art: Artistic Cities, Art Fairs and Painting Holidays
  • Privacy Policy
Luxury travel blog » Places » North America » Canada » PEI » Love affair with oysters in PEI

Love affair with oysters in PEI

July 16, 2016 by Carol Perehudoff 4 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you purchase something through this site I may earn a (dreadfully small but much appreciated) commission at no extra cost to you.

Tweet
Pin
Share51
Flip
Share
WhatsApp
51 Shares

Are oysters in Prince Edward Island, a shellfish-rich province on Canada’s East Coast, the best in the world? Call me crazy, but I say yes. Here’s why my love affair with oysters in PEI continues.

Charlottetown PEI culinary tourism

Canada is a lucky country. The Canadian province of Prince Edward Island has the best oysters in the world. Yes, yes, I’m sure I’ll be getting hate mail from France, Spain, Australia and everywhere else in the world with a coastline (including Maine and Canada’s West Coast), but it wasn’t me who said it first. Blame the Paris World’s Fair in 1900, an event that named Prince Edward Island oysters the most delicious in the world.

Looking for info on the PEI Shellfish Festival in Charlottetown? Scroll down for info below.

Fisherman in PEI

Show me the oysters

 

Best varieties of oysters in PEI

Malpeques, Raspberry Points or Colville Bays, I love them as if they were my own children (who I then wanted to eat). Crisp and fresh, salty with a subtle sweet end note, a plump choice grade Malpeque oyster can propel you into a whole new dimension of tangy taste – although, my husband, not the world’s biggest oyster fan, will no doubt roll his eyes when he reads this.

Getting ready for a few days of oyster gluttony

Oyster gluttony

 

A trip to Prince Edward Island is a tour into culinary bliss

So, on my last visit to Charlottetown, PEI, I made sure I ate as many oysters as I could. And because I’m an independent type who likes to do things alone I brought Amy Rosen, former food editor at Chatelaine Magazine, to the Claddagh Oyster House, for an oyster tasting.

 

Oysters are the real reason for touring Prince Edward Island

Of course there are many attractions in PEI: Cow’s Ice Cream, beaches, Anne of Green Gables, cycling on the Confederation Trail, and lots of delicious wonderful lobster, but give me a Malpeque oyster any day (except for when I want lobster).

My Anne of Green Gables moment

Okay, so I had one Anne of Green Gables moment

 

Claddagh Oyster House

Therefore, when Amy and I walked into the Claddagh Oyster House on Sydney Street to speak to champion oyster shucker Marc Dolan, who manages both the Claddagh House and the upstairs Dublin Pub, and whose father Liam Dolan is the Chairman of the PEI Shellfish Festival, it will come as no surprise to you that Malpeques were the main thing on my mind.

Cruising Charlottetown on an oyster quest

Cruising Charlottetown on an oyster quest

 

What’s the deal about Malpeques?

“Whenever I order PEI oysters,” I said to Marc, trying not to drool as I stared at my plate of shucked oysters on ice, “especially when I’m outside PEI, the server always seems to say they’re Malpeques. Are they putting me on?”

I asked because to me, this sounds suspiciously like when you’re in Thailand having a $5 massage on the beach and every masseuse studied at Wat Pho Temple.

Marc Dolan at Claddagh Oyster House

Marc Dolan at Claddagh Oyster House

 

Apparently, according to Marc, the oyster servers have not been putting me on, and who knows, maybe those Thai masseuses all really did study at the famous Wat Pho.

Malpeques of all strips

Malpeques of all stripes

 

The truth about Malpeques

While Malpeque Bay is one of many bays in PEI, all oysters in PEI can be considered Malpeques, Marc said, because the seed is collected from Malpeque Bay and delivered elsewhere, where the little oyster babies grow and thrive, like at Raspberry Point, oh heaven. And at Coleville Bay, where those plump buttery oysters are the raw food dreams are made of.

All good

Oh, baby!

 

My fickle shellfish heart

While I confess that quite often it’s East Coast lobsters that have my heart, after my oyster tasting at Claddagh Oyster House, I am, while not dumping lobster completely, thinking about embarking on a passionate oyster affair. (Those who say oysters are aphrodisiacs are obviously correct, except that you fall in love with the taste, not necessarily the person beside you.)

Hey lobster, we need to rethink our relationship

Hey lobster, we need to rethink our relationship

 

Public displays of oyster affection

In fact, I couldn’t help oohing, ahhing and swooning the entire time at Claddagh as the clean taste of PEI oysters hit my mouth. This apparently embarrassed Amy to no end, because she mentioned it as we were walking back along the boardwalk that runs along the waterfront of Charlottetown.

A town with a view

There be oysters in that water

 

“Were you really embarrassed?” I asked her, surprised. I mean, I’m used to being a walking embarrassment, but this time I’d been sitting down.

“Yes,” she said.

“Really?” I asked again.

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“No.”

Phew. But okay, next time I’ll try to keep my expressions of love for oysters in PEI down to a polite murmur (ha! not likely) as I slurp my fresh-from-the-ocean Malpeque oysters, and I’ll try to return to PEI whenever I’m hungry, or at least for the PEI Shellfish Festival next year.

 

 

How to celebrate oysters in PEI … oh, yeah – and all that other good food, too.

The PEI International Shellfish Festival

Now you don’t need to be torn between lobster and oysters – the PEI Shellfish Festival lets you celebrate both, not to mention other kinds of shellfish. Held in mid September, the festival is hosted by PEI’s celebrity chefs and you’re sure to find chowder, oyster shucking competitions (Go Marc Dolan!), demos and a big fat kitchen party atmosphere.

Culinary PEI

Is this organic?

 

2016 Fall Flavours Festival in Prince Edward Island

Here’s a chance to fuel all your foodie maritime dreams, including, of course, oysters in PEI. This year, 2016, from Sept 2 to Oct 2, the Food Island Partnership has announced a local culinary adventure, Fall Flavours Festival in Prince Edward Island, featuring authentic PEI tastes & traditions.

Promised are fab food, fun venues, great entertainment, signature events hosted by celeb chefs personalities, and, not least, intimate food experiences. (Ahem, I know oysters are an aphrodisiac, but I can only guess what kind of ‘intimate’ experience they’re referring to). For more info visit the Prince Island Fall Flavours website.

Wahhh. All gone.

Wahhh. All gone.

 

Go out on an oyster boat and harvest your own

While going out and tonging (picking up) and shucking my own oysters straight from the ocean was a once-in-a-life-time experience (unless I do it twice), I learned something. I don’t actually like eating oysters straight from the ocean. I prefer a little distance between me and my live food. In this case, distance means cooled in the fridge and drizzled with lemon.

If you want to tong your own oysters, check out the Oyster Lovers Ultimate Aficianado’s Dream Tour with Experience PEI.

Explore the PEI Culinary Trail

Why limit yourself: Do the PEI Culinary Trail, a trail that will help you experience some of the best culinary experiences Prince Edward Island can offer. Visit the PEI Tourism Website for more info.

 

Read More about:

Carol and Amy’s misadventure in London, England

Amy’s oyster slurping tips in Chatelaine.

The Maritimes:

Lobster tour through the Bay of Fundy

Cycling Confederation Trail in PEI

What to do in Saint John, New Brunswick

 

For more about travel to Canada: visit Things to do in Canada

 

 

 

Filed Under: Culinary Tourism, PEI

About Carol Perehudoff

A former freelance travel columnist for the Toronto Star, Carol has won more than 20 writing and blogging awards and honours. A spa and luxury travel expert, she's written for top travel publications around the globe.

Comments

  1. fotoeins says

    September 13, 2013 at 6:25 pm

    I can’t believe that look of despair in that last photo, Carol. But dined well you did …

  2. R Minton says

    September 13, 2013 at 6:06 pm

    Those oysters must have zero calories. You are looking so skinny and trim! The oysters look to die for. I’m going to show Scott since he loves oysters so much.

  3. Lesley Peterson says

    September 13, 2013 at 12:39 pm

    Mouthwatering pics, Carol–that’s a festival I’ve got to get to! We buy Malpeques here and I can only imagine how good they would be fresh out of the water.

  4. Amy says

    September 12, 2013 at 9:28 pm

    Great stuff, as per usual. (And I really was embarrassed.) Ha!

Talk to me! Leave a comment Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Connect with me online

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Subscribe and you won't miss an article!

Carol Perehudoff published in top media, logos for newspapers and magazines

About Wandering Carol

circle profileIn my 10+ years as a travel writer and columnist I've seen the best of what the world has to offer and written for some top publications around the globe - and now my goal is to bring this expertise to you. For more blah blah blah, visit my
About page.

Categories

How to use this adventure and luxury travel site

  • Click on the ‘DESTINATIONS TO TRAVEL TO’ tab on the menu bar to go to my destinations page.
  • The CATEGORIES drop down menu above will point you to locations and travel themes such as hotels, outdoor adventure and tours.
  • SUBSCRIBE to keep up with the latest articles and get tips to make your next journey inspiring.

Recent Posts

  • Things to do in Krems, Austria – a Whirlwind Tour
  • Viking River Cruise Danube Waltz Review
  • Sisi in Vienna: the Captivating World of Empress Elizabeth of Austria
  • Most haunted place in England – Shrewsbury in Shropshire
  • Leukerbad, Switzerland, the Ultimate Travel Guide

Recent Comments

  • Pat Brennan on Things to do in Krems, Austria – a Whirlwind Tour
  • Carol Perehudoff on Viking River Cruise Danube Waltz Review
  • Carol Perehudoff on Viking River Cruise Danube Waltz Review
  • Toni on Viking River Cruise Danube Waltz Review
  • Parmjit (parm) Parmar on Viking River Cruise Danube Waltz Review

Terms of Use

Terms of Use

Copyright @2019 WanderingCarol.com Luxury Travel Blog