Pearls of Wisdom
• Oyster harvest numbers are at about 12 million pounds of shucked oysters annually, and Louisiana is the country’s number one producer.
• Oysters have always been linked with love. When Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, sprang forth from the sea on an oyster shell and promptly gave birth to Eros, the word “aphrodisiac” was born.
• An oyster produces a pearl when foreign material becomes trapped inside the shell. The oyster responds to the irritation by producing a combination of calcium and protein. This combination is known as nacre, which coats the foreign material and, over time, produces a pearl.
