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The Year

L’ANNÉE means “the year”. And oysters keep a calendar.

Year clock: highlighted months contain an R, the hand points to the current month.Jan.Feb.Mar.Apr.MayJun.Jul.Aug.Sep.Oct.Nov.Dec.

  1. JanvierJanuary

    Now

    Galette des Rois

    On 6 January, France cuts the king cake: whoever finds the bean wears the crown. And the oysters? At their best: cold water, firm flesh.

  2. FévrierFebruary

    Now

    Lemon season

    Lemons from Menton and Sicily are at their juiciest. One drop is enough: an oyster should taste of the sea, not of lemon.

  3. MarsMarch

    Now

    Saint-Jacques

    Scallops from Brittany and Normandy are in season from October to May. Raw, with a little olive oil and fleur de sel: pure poetry.

  4. AvrilApril

    Now

    The last R

    The last month with an R and the first with asparagus. Schwetzingen’s famous spears grow practically on our doorstep.

  5. MaiMay

    Now

    Strawberries & Lillet

    No R, but strawberries: time for a Lillet tonic. Oysters stay on the menu; the old rule dates from before refrigeration.

  6. JuinJune

    Now

    Fête de la Musique

    On 21 June all of France makes music in the streets. We’ll take rosé in the courtyard and the longest evenings of the year.

  7. JuilletJuly

    Now

    14 Juillet

    Bastille Day. Oysters are often “laiteuses” now: milkier and creamier. Some people love exactly that.

  8. AoûtAugust

    Now

    Sardine summer

    Peak sardine season on the Atlantic. Can’t make it to the sea? Open a tin: the best ones age like wine.

  9. SeptembreSeptember

    Now

    The first R

    Oyster season begins. The water cools, the flesh firms up and turns briny. Welcome back.

  10. OctobreOctober

    Now

    Nachtwandel

    When Jungbusch opens its courtyards for the Nachtwandel night walk, our gate is already open. Long evenings, candles, crémant.

  11. NovembreNovember

    Now

    Beaujolais Nouveau

    On the third Thursday of November, Beaujolais Nouveau arrives. Young, fruity, a good reason to raise a glass.

  12. DécembreDecember

    Now

    Réveillon

    In France, oysters and champagne belong to Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Nearly half of the year’s oysters are eaten over the holidays.

The R rule

They used to say: oysters only in months with an R, so from September to April. The reason was less about taste than about summer. Without refrigeration, oysters spoiled quickly on their way inland, and in summer they spawn.

Today oysters travel chilled and reach the bar within hours. In summer they often taste milkier and creamier, the French call them “laiteuses”. Firm, briny oysters, though, are still a winter thing.

The smaller the number, the bigger the oyster.

In France, oysters are graded by weight. Nº 3 is the classic apéritif oyster, Nº 2 one for the hungry.

  1. Nº 0 over 150 g
  2. Nº 1 121–150 g
  3. Nº 2 86–120 g
  4. Nº 3 66–85 g
  5. Nº 4 46–65 g
  6. Nº 5 30–45 g
Hands opening an oyster with an oyster knife

How to eat an oyster, in four steps

  1. Look

    A fresh oyster is plump, glistening and smells of the sea, never of fish.

  2. Pour off the first water

    Tip out the first liquor. After a minute or two the oyster makes more, and it tastes rounder.

  3. Loosen and season

    Loosen the muscle with the little fork. A drop of lemon or mignonette, or simply nothing.

  4. Chew

    Don’t just swallow: chew two or three times and the salt, nut and sweetness come through. Finish with the juice.

What to drink