Apalachicola Bay Oysters - Rich History of the World's Best Oyster

Pic by Betty Gilbert Davis

Many top chefs and culinary experts have proclaimed it as the world's best oyster and any oyster lover who has ever tasted the famed Apalachicola Bay oyster is likely to agree.

Harvested from a 30 mile stretch of Florida's Apalachicola Bay for thousands of years, the oysters are prized for their clean taste, consistency and size. They are also the center of a significant and deeply historic industry that has been a way of life in Apalachicola since before the Civil War.

Apalachicola Bay Oyster Boats

Ancient Indians discovered the prize oysters thousands of years ago and they have been hand harvested ever since. Even today, the wild oysters are harvested by men and women in small boats, using long rake-like tongs to bring them up from the oyster beds of the bay. The sight of the Apalachicola oyster fleet out working the bay on a clear day is one of the most interesting in the South.

Surprisingly, just as the oyster has meant a way of life for Apalachicola bay, it has also played a critical role in preserving Apalachicola as one of the most charming and best-preserved historic cities on the Florida Gulf Coast. To learn how and to read more about the delicacy of Apalachicola Bay oysters, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/apalachicolaoysters.