Oysters: where to taste it at Christmas markets

Oysters are shellfish farmed along the coast, in Normandy, Brittany, Marennes-Oléron, Arcachon or Bouzigues, and sold live. The oyster is a festive product: the end of the year weighs heavily in oyster farmers’ sales, and the Christmas markets of the coasts set up a chalet where the oysters are opened in front of you and eaten on the spot with a glass of white wine.

Where to eat oysters at a Christmas market

On the Atlantic coast, Marennes-Oléron oysters are served in La Rochelle, Royan and Rochefort, with a glass of Pineau des Charentes. In Arcachon, they are eaten with crépinette and white wine. Lorient and Saint-Nazaire serve them too, with muscadet in Saint-Nazaire.

On the Mediterranean, Sète sells Bouzigues oysters and mussels, farmed in the Thau lagoon, with Picpoul de Pinet. Béziers serves them too. In Narbonne, they are oysters from Gruissan and Leucate, with wines from La Clape.

At the stall, there are two ways to go: tasting on the spot, by the half-dozen or the dozen, opened to order, or a sealed basket to take home for Christmas Eve.

Marennes-Oléron, Bouzigues, Arcachon: the oyster of each coast

Marennes-Oléron oysters are matured in claires, clay ponds that fill at high tide. The fines de claires vertes carry a Label Rouge, and the basin has its own protected geographical indication (PGI). Bouzigues refers to oysters from the Thau lagoon, behind Sète. Arcachon is an oyster-farming bay, where the oyster goes with crépinette.

Normandy and Brittany farm their oysters too. In every case, the oyster is sold live, opened at the stall or sealed in the basket.