굴 Oyster

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

굴은 간의 기능을 도와주고 보혈 작용을 하며 콜레스테롤을 내리고 혈압저하작용을 한다.

▣ 성분과 약성
	굴은 한약명 모려육(牡蠣肉)으로 판새목 굴과에 속하는 이매패(二枚貝)의 총칭이다. 카사노바가 가장 애용했다는 것이 굴이요, 철혈재상 비스마르크가 무지하게 먹었다는 게 굴일 정도로 정력제로 손꼽힌다. 산란기는 6~7월이며 5백만~1억 개의 알을 낳는다. 벨리저유생은 바다를 떠돌다가 바닷가 암초에 붙어서 자란다. 자연산은 에너지 85㎉,수분 81.56%, 단백질 11.6g, 지질 3.2g, 당질 1.5g, 회분 2.2g, 칼슘 109㎎, 인 204㎎, 철분 3.7㎎, 비타민A27R.E, 레티놀11㎍, 베타카로틴 11㎍, 비타민B1 0.22㎎, 비타민B2 0.03㎎, 니아신 4.2㎎, 비타민C 4㎎등이다. 글리코겐이 겨울에는 4~6%까지 상승하지만 산란기인 5월에는 1% 이하가 된다. 단백질은 히스티딘, 리딘이 풍부하고 살이 부드러워 소화되기 쉽다. 철, 동, 망간, 옥소, 비타민B1, 비타민B2, C 엑기스 성분으로 알라닌, 글리신, 베타인, 타우린, 호박산 등을 함유한다. 굴은 10월에서 3월까지가 먹기에 좋으며 추울수록 맛이 좋다. 굴은 완전 식품으로 「바다에서 나는 우유」라고 부른다. 특히 「비타민과 무기질의 보고」라고 할 수 있는데 철분, 아연, 인, 칼슘 등이 고루 들어 있다. 빈혈 치료에는 철분과 촉매역할을 하는 구리가 필요한데 굴에는 흡수가 용이한 유기동이 들어 있어 빈혈 치료에 좋다. 이를 한방에서는 굴이 간의 기능을 도와주고 보혈작용을 한다고 한다. 단백질을 구성하는 아미노산 중에 라이신과 히스티딘이 많아 곡류에 부족한 아미노산을 보충할 수 있고 당질은 글리코겐 형태로 많이 들어 있어 소화 흡수가 잘 되므로 회복기 환자나 노인, 아이들에게도 좋은 식품이다. 아연이 결핍되면 남성 호르몬 테스토스테론과 정충을 만들지 못하여 성적 불능이 될 수 있는데 굴은 자연에서 아연을 가장 많이 함유한 식품이다. 굴은 땀을 많이 흘리거나 두통, 불면증에 효과가 있다. 특히 가슴이 답답하고 열이 나며 마음의 안정을 찾지 못하는 경우에 좋다.  술을 먹은 후에 갈증이 심한 사람들이 굴을 먹으면 증상이 완화되고 피부와 얼굴 색도 좋아진다. 물을 많이 마시면서 소화기능이 약하여 식욕이 없는 경우, 음식을 먹고 나서 잘 토하는 경우에 굴을 먹으면 위장 기능을 활발하게 하여 식욕을 돋우어 준다. 혈장중의 콜레스테롤을 내리거나 혈압저하작용을 하는 타우린, 셀레늄, EPA등이 있어 고혈압, 동맥경화, 심장병 같은 성인병 예방에도 기대할 수 있다. 육질을 먹으면 향이 좋고 보익하는 효과가 크다.
▣ 활용법
	[섭취법] ▶ 굴은 12~2월에 지질 함량이나 글리코겐 함량이 증가하므로 이때 채취한 것이 가장 맛있다. 천연 굴은 알이 작고 양식 굴은 대게 크다. ▶ 굴을 깨끗이 씻으려면 영양 손실이 많고 맛도 떨어지므로 소금물로 가볍게 씻은 후 그냥 먹거나 간장을 타서 먹는다. ▶ 굴은 수분이 빠지면 단단해져 맛이 떨어지므로 가볍게 익히는 것이 좋고 큰 것보다 작은 것이 감칠 맛이 있다.
▣ 주의사항 및 활용예
	※ 주의 사항 산란기인 5~8월 까지는 먹지 않는 것이 좋은데 이 때 아린 맛이 나고 영양도 떨어진다. 쉽게 상하여 배탈이 나기도 한다.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oysters

 

Very few foods can claim a history like that of oysters. They have been harvested and consumed since Roman times, are believed to have aphrodisiacal powers, and have managed to be classified as both peasant food and haute cuisine.

In the United States, oysters were street food as recently as the 19th century, sold at stalls in New York and given away at San Francisco bars during the Gold Rush. This unchecked consumption came at a cost: Overfishing led to near-extinction on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

Today, the coastal flats and reefs where oysters grow are much more judiciously harvested. Their relative scarcity—Americans eat roughly 2.5 billion oysters every year, according to the Molluscan Shellfish Institute of North America—and the cost of transporting the live seafood around the country means prices of $2 or $3 per piece are common at upscale raw bars.

What makes them so popular? In brief: the taste. Just as the geography, soil, and climate of a vineyard gives a distinct flavor to the resulting wine, oysters can be very salty or sweet, with notes of cucumber, melon, herbs, butter, flint, or copper, all depending on the water in which they grew.

With our expert tips, you can keep oyster eating from feeling like a shell game.  

 

 

The Lineup

There are five main varieties of edible oysters.

Belons, salty and often metallic in taste, are native to Europe but now grow in North American waters, too. Relatively rare, they command a premium at fish markets and restaurants.

Eastern oysters, including Bluepoints, Wellfleets, and Malpaques, grow from the Canadian Maritimes down to the Gulf of Mexico. Many restaurants that specialize in oysters don’t serve Gulf oysters raw, however, because naturally occurring bacteria is at higher levels in those warmer waters.

    

Pacific, or gigas, oysters are grown throughout the world. Varieties include Hama Hamas, Shoalwaters, Hog Island, and many others. They are generally sweet, with melon, cucumber, or mineral nuances.

Kumamoto oysters originally came from Japan but are now grown along the western coast of North America. Kumamotos are approachable because of their smaller size and sweet, mild flavor, says Jeremy Anderson, executive chef at Elliott’s Oyster House in Seattle.

Olympia oysters are native to the Pacific Northwest. Their small size, with meat often only the size of a quarter, belies their assertive flavor. It’s rare to run across them outside of their home turf.

 

 

Farmed Versus Wild

Oysters are both farmed and harvested wild. But you’re not likely to see the distinction on a menu unless the location of a wild bed makes harvesting more difficult—and therefore more expensive. For instance, wild belon oysters that have to be hand-harvested by scuba divers command a premium, says Michael Garvey, general manager of New York’s Grand Central Oyster Bar.

 

 

Size Doesn’t Matter

Most of the oysters served in restaurants range from half-dollar-size to palm-size. The size is mainly a function of species, and has no bearing on quality or taste. Where it matters is in the eating; most oysters are one-bite affairs, but larger ones like Bluepoints are better tackled with a knife and fork—or avoided if you don’t feel up to swallowing their bulk.

 

 

Picking the Best

Like all shellfish, fresh oysters need to be alive when you purchase them. Oysters should be tightly shut or, if slightly open, should close when tapped. Avoid ones that gape open (they’re already dead), or give off a sewage smell. And always buy from a place with a good reputation and rapid turnover.

 

 

How to Store

Since they are alive, oysters need to be babied a little bit. Wrap them loosely in a towel, paper towel, or paper bag (all damp); put them in the fridge, and plan to use them within a day or so. Don’t store them in water or in plastic, as they can literally suffocate.

 

 

Aw, Shucks

Most fish markets will shuck your oysters for you. But to do it yourself, you’ll need an oyster knife and a heavy glove, in case the knife slips. Insert the knife into the oyster’s “hinge” and work the blade around in a circle. When you get back to where you started, twist the knife gently to bring the shells apart, being careful to keep the liquid from spilling out. Remove the top shell, then carefully slide the knife underneath the oyster to detach it.

 

 

The Scoop on Sauce

Purists insist that accessorizing with anything other than a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of mignonette (a sauce of wine, vinegar, shallots and pepper) is unthinkable. But there are dissenters. “I like these American condiments that we grew up with, so I’m a fan of cocktail sauce,” says Rebecca Charles, owner of Pearl Oyster Bar in New York. Jeff Temner, director of culinary operations for the Legal Sea Foods company, sees cocktail sauce as a good bridge ingredient for oyster novices.

 

 

To Chew or Not to Chew

To eat a raw oyster, tip the shell into your mouth, being careful to not spill the flavorful “liquor” surrounding the meat. Oyster lovers are divided as to whether it’s better to chew or simply slurp it down, but there’s really no wrong way to do it.

 

 

The Raw and the Cooked

With all the obsession over raw mollusks, it’s easy to forget that oysters are very tasty baked, fried, broiled, or stewed. When oysters are cooked, their slippery texture firms up, and the taste becomes milder. Most chefs agree that cooked is the best way for a beginner to ease into experiencing oysters in all their briny glory.

 

Oyster Season?

Today’s restaurateurs can source oysters from all over the globe, so it’s no longer necessary to consider them a seasonal indulgence. But there’s still a dash of truth in the adage advising consumption only in months with the letter r in them. In the old days, the lack of refrigeration made it risky to eat oysters during the hot months. That’s no longer the case—oysters do spawn in the warmer weather, but they’re watery and less flavorful during this time.

 

 

Pourings and Pairings

While champagne is a traditional accompaniment to oysters, it’s more a marriage of convenience, since both are considered decadent party foods. But many dry, acidic white wines work equally well. Try muscadet and chablis, as well as unoaked California chardonnay and New Zealand sauvignon blanc. Avoid reds; the tannins clash with the taste of oysters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://ulnara.or.kr/fr.php?c=fr&step=3&code=fr03&id2=26&id3=489

http://www.portfolio.com/culture-lifestyle/culture-inc/food-drink/2008/01/29/Oyster-Eating-Guide/#ixzz0zTL6w8Vp