The Oyster’s Roots in America
Oysters Rockefeller, oysters on the half shell, fried oysters, Oysters Algonquin, oyster pies, and oysters on toast... these recipes are but a snapshot of what one can create with this humble bivalve. Once an ingredient so plentiful the streets were literally made of its shells, the oyster became widely popular in the 1700s and 1800s in New York City (see Rockefeller and Algonquin). Today, we celebrate its unique flavors through dishes so simple they require only a good knife, a little skill, and, of course, the perfect oyster.
In 1609, when Henry Hudson first sailed into the river that one day would bear his name, the Lenape people had been farming its bountiful oyster beds for eons. High mounds of oyster shells, called “middens,” indicated the New York Harbor oysters were plentiful. Oysters thrived for millennia in the brackish waters around New York Harbor, keeping the estuary clean thanks to their natural filtration abilities. Harbor oyster shells from these middens measured up to 10 inches tall and early European travelers describe the shellfish as being about a foot in length.
Though disappointed these bivalves didn’t produce pearls, the settlers found other uses for this abundant product. By the 18th century, immigrants referred to Ellis and Liberty islands as “Little Oyster Island” and “Great Oyster Island,” respectively. New Yorkers started eating oysters en masse. An easy to find, economical, nutritious, and versatile food, oysters were so ubiquitous that Annie Hauck-Lawson and Jonathan Deutsch, in their book Gastropolis: Food and New York City, claim that even “the very poorest New Yorkers had no other substance than oysters and bread.”
Around the city, you could even find “oyster cellars.” These spots ranged from upscale restaurants to modest eateries serving steamed and raw oysters.
One of the city’s most famous places of the 1800s was Downing’s Oyster House located at the corner of Broad and Wall streets. Owner Thomas Downing was an African-American businessman who listed his occupation as “oysterman” in the city directory. Downing’s Oyster House was well-known among the city’s upper echelon, and as a result, Downing became famous and affluent. The Oyster House did not limit its offerings to raw, fried, and stewed—Downing’s menu also included scalloped oysters, oyster pie, fish with oyster sauce, and poultry stuffed with oysters. More modest options were from street vendors who sold oysters, hot corn, peanuts, and buns.
Sadly, the golden age of oysters proved unsustainable. With overharvesting and the speedy industrialization of the New York Harbor, oysters suffered from the inability to meet demands and pollution. By 1927, the last of New York City’s oyster beds were closed down. The area’s oysters were too contaminated to eat. It wasn’t until the passage of the 1972 Clean Water Act that a remedy was undertaken, but over 40 years later oysters still could not be consumed because dredging stirs up centuries worth of pollution lying thickly upon the harbor floor. In a comprehensive history of the oyster in New York, The Big Oyster, author Mark Kurlansky wrote, “The history of the New York oyster is a history of New York itself—its wealth, its strength, its excitement, its greed, its thoughtfulness, its destructiveness, its blindness, and—as any New Yorker will tell you—its filth.”
Returning oyster sustainability to the New York Harbor is the mission of the Billion Oyster Project. This nonprofit, which started in 2014, is dedicated to restoring one billion oysters to New York Harbor by 2035. One of the ways they are accomplishing this is by collecting oyster shells from participating restaurants around New York City’s five boroughs.
The history of the oyster in early America is not unlike the stories of so many of our natural products and resources. They delighted us, we consumed them en masse, and in some areas, we quickly depleted them. But also, just like America, we rebuild the things we love. If you’re interested in clean water efforts, here’s a lengthy list of organizations you can help.
