Oysters
Cadoret family consists of 5th generation oyster farmers, who have been in this business since 1880. Black Pearl oysters grow in Normandy on Utah Beach, then they are kept at the estuary of the Bélon River (Brittany area) for 3 months.
The shell has dark colour, the edge of the clam mantle is usually black. The texture is solid. The clam is fleshy. A very vivid rich fresh sea flavour.
Black Pearl CADORET,
France
Fine de Claire,
France
Oysters are grown in Marennes-Oléron area, Charente-Maritime department, and affined (i.e. purified, refined) in claire, i.e. special water reservoirs dug out on the beach and connected with the sea by means of small channels to ensure the inflow of sea water.
The coefficient of filling the shell with the clam meat is fine, i.e. the clam is not very fleshy, there is much more oyster liquid. The texture is light and silky. Sea flavour. The taste is vivid, salty. The aftertaste of sea freshness, not very long-lasting.
Gillardeau,
France (a full name is Spéciale de Claire Gillardeau)
They grow in the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean near the coast of Ireland for three years, and then they are affined (i.e. purified, refined) in claires in the area of Marennes-Oléron area, Charente-Maritime department, France.
Gillardeau are called the oysters of oysters, and even the Rolls-Royce of oysters for flawless quality, impeccable texture, and unique taste.
Fleshy. Filling coefficient is spéciale. The shell is filled with meat at about 80%. The meat is fluffy, almost crispy. The flavour is superfluent. It is delicate at first, but then it intensifies: slightly salty, sweet, creamy, mineral, with vegetable notes.
Tsarskaya,
France
These oysters originate from Cancale (Brittany area), from the very heart of French oyster farming. They have been called in the name of the Russian tsars, since it is from this area that oysters were delivered to Russia to the emperor.
It has fresh iodine sea flavour and crispy meat, which slightly resembles Argentinian beef, with creamy, sweet, and almond notes. This sweet aftertaste is long-lasting.
Bélon,
France
These oysters grow in Morbihan Bay or in the English Channel near Cancale for three years, and then for several weeks the flavour of clams matures at the estuary of the Bélon River (Brittany area).
The mixture of the three waters at the estuary of the Bélon River – salty seawater, fresh river water, and the water from underground fountains, rich in iron, has formed a unique environment for affining oysters.
Bélon oysters are regarded as aristocratic oysters. The clam is light brown or light grey, crispy. Sea notes are delicate, not intensely salty. Trenchermen highly value the exquisite taste of Bélon oysters for slightly spicy bitter taste and a vivid hazelnut aftertaste.
They grow for three years in the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean near the coast of Ireland, same place where the Gillardeau grow. Then they are moved to the Netherlands, where they are affined for several months in the waters of the North Sea near the coast of Zeeland province, at the south-west of the country.
Clams are fleshy, the flavour is vivid, ranges from salty to sweet, creamy.
Umami,
the Netherlands