Basic Profile

Origin
Oyster Bay, Spring Creek, Wakulla County, Florida, USA
Species
Crassostrea virginica (Eastern Oyster)
Classification
Farmed; single producer
Farming Method
Farmed on an aquaculture lease in Oyster Bay
Producer
Cypress Point Oyster Company (Jody and Dewey Houck)
Visual Signature
Eastern oyster shell

Jody Houck was born in Ohio in 1961 and grew up in Fort Lauderdale, where her father was a master diver who went after lobster. She took degrees at Florida State and the Florida Institute of Technology and worked as an engineer on government projects in Virginia. Then she and her husband Dewey retired early, moved to north Florida, took a lease in Oyster Bay and started farming oysters in 2019.1

Apalachee Bay from Shell Point, Wakulla County, Florida, on a stormy day
Apalachee Bay from Shell Point, Wakulla County, Florida, on a stormy day. Photo: The Bushranger / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The Marina

In May 2021 the Houcks bought the restaurant and marina at Spring Creek from Leo Lovel. They sell their oysters to buyers across the South.1 Garden & Gun listed them among the South's best in 2021 under the name Little Honeys.2

Houck told an oral historian that she must be a cat, with lives to spare, given how many times she has changed careers.1 The wild fishery along this coast is described in the Apalachicola profile.

Flavor Breakdown

First
Sweetness. Our scores put it at five out of five, with brine at one.
Then
A plump, soft meat and a short finish. The name Little Honeys is a fair description.

What Makes Cypress Point Unique

One of the new farms on a coast that lost its wild harvest, started by someone who had never worked on the water for a living.1

For people who want the sweetest oyster on the list. Order it on the Forgotten Coast, and expect almost no salt.

Should You Add Lemon?

Yes

It is all sweetness; acid gives it an edge.

Pairing Guide

1
Pinot Gris

Fruit and a little weight.

2
Wheat beer

Soft and lightly sour.

OptimalLemon
AcceptableHot sauce or mignonette
AvoidHeavy cocktail sauce

Who Is This For?

Will love it
  • People who dislike salty oysters
  • Travelers on the Forgotten Coast
Sources
  1. Anderson, A. (17 May 2021). "Jody Houck." Oral history interview, Southern Foodways Alliance. southernfoodways.org
  2. Tate, A. (15 December 2021). "A State-by-State Guide to the South's 35 Best Oysters." Garden & Gun. gardenandgun.com
Tasting notes & flavor profile in the Oysterminds app →