Basic Profile

Origin
Coos Bay and South Slough, North Bend and Charleston, Oregon, USA
Species
Crassostrea gigas (Pacific Oyster)
Classification
Farmed; two long-standing family farms
Farming Method
Larvae set on shell in tanks, spread on beds by barge, grown in clusters on stakes
Producer
Clausen Oysters (North Bend) and Qualman Oyster Farms (Charleston)
Visual Signature
Large Pacific oyster, 5 to 6 inches

Max and Lilli Clausen leased submerged ground in Coos Bay from Coos County and seeded their first oysters in 1980. The first crop was ready in 1984.1 The farm now holds 635 leased acres, the largest holding of oyster land in Oregon.2

Haynes Inlet, an arm of Coos Bay near North Bend, Oregon
Haynes Inlet, an arm of Coos Bay near North Bend, Oregon. Photo: Oregon Department of Transportation / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Three Summers

Clausen sets oyster larvae on shell in water tanks for three days, then spreads the shell on its beds from a shallow-draft barge. The oysters grow in clusters on stakes in the tidelands and need three full summers to reach five or six inches.1 Ten thousand bags of spat go out at a time.2

South Slough

Across the bay at Charleston, Al Qualman founded Qualman Oyster Farms in 1934. His son Larry began harvesting at age ten and has worked the South Slough for more than 70 years, selling locally and shipping to San Francisco and Portland.2

Flavor Breakdown

The size
These are big oysters by raw-bar standards. At five or six inches they are meant as much for the grill, the smoker and the fryer as for the half shell.
The taste
Our scores put sweetness first and brine low. Clausen also grows Kumamotos, which it describes as sweeter still.1

What Makes Coos Bay Unique

Coos Bay is where Oregon grows oysters at scale: one farm with 635 acres and its own processing plant, and another worked by the same family since 1934.2

Buy them shucked or smoked at the farm, or raw if you like a large oyster. For a cocktail-size oyster on the half shell, ask for the Kumamotos.

Should You Add Lemon?

Yes

A large, sweet Pacific wants acid.

Pairing Guide

1
Oregon Pinot Gris

Enough fruit and acid for a big, sweet oyster.

2
Light lager

For the grilled and fried ones.

OptimalLemon or hot sauce
AcceptableGarlic butter on the grill
AvoidNothing is wrong on an oyster this size

Who Is This For?

Will love it
  • People who cook their oysters
  • Road-trippers on the southern Oregon coast
Sources
  1. Clausen Oysters. "About Us." clausenoysters.com
  2. Caswell, D. (17 April 2020). "Oregon's Oystermen." Oregon Coast Magazine. oregoncoastmagazine.com
Tasting notes & flavor profile in the Oysterminds app →