Basic Profile

Origin
Mangrove estuaries of the West African coast, including the Tanbi Wetlands, The Gambia
Species
Crassostrea gasar (West African mangrove oyster)
Classification
Wild; artisanal harvest
Farming Method
Gathered from mangrove roots at low tide
Producer
Harvesters, mostly women, such as the TRY Oyster Women's Association
Visual Signature
Small oysters grown on mangrove roots

West Africa's mangrove oyster, long known as Crassostrea gasar, grows on the roots of mangroves along the coast and is harvested mostly by women, from mangrove roots at low tide.2

A West African mangrove oyster at Bignona, in Senegal's Casamance region
A West African mangrove oyster at Bignona, in Senegal's Casamance region. Photo: Lucy Keith-Diagne / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

TRY in The Gambia

The TRY Oyster Women's Association, founded in 2007 in the Greater Banjul area, brings together more than 500 women who harvest oysters and cockles in the Tanbi Wetlands, a 6,300-hectare reserve. It led the co-management plan for the Tanbi's oysters and cockles and won the UN's Equator Prize in 2012. In 2011 the harvesters chose to lengthen the closed season, selling fresh oysters only from March to June, and saw larger oysters as a result.1

Beyond the Fresh Season

The association has worked on storing oysters in oil, freezing and smoking them, which lets harvesters sell for a better price up to three months after the season ends.1

Flavor Breakdown

How it's eaten
Mostly cooked: the oysters are prepared on land, their meat removed and sold in local and regional markets.2 Smoked oysters extend the season.1
What's known
We found no published tasting study of the species. Expect a small, mangrove-estuary oyster.

What Makes West African Mangrove Oyster Unique

This is an oyster whose story is its harvesters: women who pick it from mangrove roots at low tide, and in The Gambia manage the beds themselves, closing them longer so the oysters grow bigger.1

A mangrove oyster from West Africa, gathered and managed by women's cooperatives. Look for it smoked or cooked in Banjul's markets in season.

Should You Add Lemon?

Yes

It is usually eaten cooked, where a squeeze of lime helps.

Pairing Guide

1
Cold lager

For a cooked or smoked oyster.

2
Bissap (hibiscus drink)

A West African table drink, tart and cold.

OptimalLime and chili
AcceptablePlain
AvoidNothing heavy

Who Is This For?

Will love it
  • Anyone interested in community-run fisheries
  • Travelers in The Gambia and Senegal
Sources
  1. United Nations Development Programme (2013). "TRY Oyster Women's Association, The Gambia." Equator Initiative Case Study Series. equatorinitiative.org (PDF)
  2. FAO FISH4ACP. "Gambia – oyster." fao.org
Tasting notes & flavor profile in the Oysterminds app →