A day before the Opening Ceremonies, I was invited to attend a Taste of Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast hosted by Bob Blumer (of the Surreal Chef – yeah the guy who lives in the toaster!)
When I walked into Showcase BC at Robson Square, it was instantly one of the best two hours I have always dreamed about.
1. Free flowing wines and ciders from Vancouver Island
2. A giant display of Pacific Kissed Oysters and Seafood
3. Cooking demonstrations with awesome chefs
4. A chance to talk to Bob Blumer
5. Seafood tastings
6. All the Kusshi oysters I could eat.
How did the Vancouver Island Tourism and the Sunshine Coast Tourism board read my mind? (Thank you soo much Deirdre, this night reassured me that YouCook’s decision to be based in Vancouver was a great idea!)
The Pacific Kiss stamp authenticates this is a World Class, top quality BC oyster, mussel, clam or scallop that is a delicious and nutritious option that has been grown at an environmentally sustainable farm by a registered member of The British Columbia Shellfish Association. It is recognized by the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program and SeaChoice for adhering to responsible environmental codes of practice and providing consumers with a best option for seafood selection.
Pacific Kiss has a good page that describes each kind of oysters and when they are available. They also have a special platter of 12 of BC’s special oysters from each growing region. This is being served at Monk McQueen’s or Joe Fortes in Vancouver.
How to Shuck an Oyster
I have a confession to make. If I were to pick only ONE favourite food, it would have to be oysters. I’ve eaten Oysters of all shapes and sizes all over the world. Most recently in PEI, in Point Reyes, and of course, Vancouver. I was delighted that Stafford Lumley would be personally shucking all the oysters for the night! He’s the former owner of Rodney’s Oyster House and now spends his time at Gibson’s at Smitty’s Oyster House. Stafford demonstrated how to properly shuck an oyster.
Then Chef David Bowes, from Laughing Oyster in Lund, demonstrates how to pair them with Hollandaise sauce. I’m guilty of having at least 10 Kusshi oysters that night.
How to Prepare Geoduck
Geoduck, pronounced Gooeyduck, quite frankly looks like a male reproductive organ. It’s a much sought after Chinese delicacy costing about $30 per pound or upwards. It’s essentially a gigantic clam and has a life expectancy of 146 years.
Here you can see what it starts out as, and what it turns out to be.
The texture is chewy and crunchy and slimy which makes it not a taste accepted by everyone. It’s typically in Chinese hotpot or served as sashimi. The high price has made this a an $80 million industry, with harvesting occurring in both Washington state and the province of British Columbia. This is probably the most expensive aphrodisiac in the shell fish family, and oh my was I in love when Chef Ken Nakano demonstrated how to prepare one a geoduck.
It tasted delicious! Actually, having tastings of Geoduck prepared by someone as skilled as Chef Ken Nakano might kickstart the demand for Geoduck. I heard a lot of hesitation around the room as the skewers came around but heard very good feedback after people tried it. As for me, I’d have it again at an affordable price.
