Taranto Native

Gulf of Taranto · Ionian Sea, Italy

Ostrea edulis

The flat oyster of Italy's 'City of the Two Seas' — grown in Taranto's Mar Piccolo, a landlocked inner bay with unique current-driven oxygenation. The flat oyster here has Mediterranean warmth, rich umami, and a softer metallic finish than northern European O. edulis. The only surviving traditional Mediterranean flat oyster cultivation.

Raw shellfish is a major allergen and carries inherent health risks. Editorial reference only.

Salinity2/5
Sweetness3/5
Minerality3/5
Umami4/5
Texturefirm
Finishmetallic

Pair with

Primitivo di ManduriaFiano di Avellino
Always start here

The reference version.

The flat oyster of Italy's 'City of the Two Seas' — grown in Taranto's Mar Piccolo, a landlocked inner bay with unique current-driven oxygenation. The flat oyster here has Mediterranean warmth, rich umami, and a softer metallic finish than northern European O. edulis. The only surviving traditional Mediterranean flat oyster cultivation.

What you'll tasteas it arrives
Brine
2
Sweet
3
Mineral
3
Umami
4
Acid
—

Everything below is measured against this plate.

Details

Cultivationsuspended-longline · 3–5 yearsWaterMar Grande / Mar PiccoloAppearancemedium · flat

If you like this, try

Adriatic FlatAdriatic SeaThe Adriatic's warm, enclosed sea environment produces flat oysters with a distinctly different character from Atlantic O. edulis — lower brine, more umami, and a softer metallic finish. The Mediterranean warmth tempers the species' characteristic intensity.BelonBelonIntensely iodine and metallic on entry, lean and dense, with a hazelnut-copper finish that coats the palate for minutes.
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