Oysters

The Peconic Bay scallop collapsed in the 1985 brown tide and is still recovering — hatcheries in Southold, Montauk and North Sea now seed the wild beds with millions of juveniles every year.

East End oysters taste the way they do because of merroir — salinity, mineral content, and the algae the water grows. The old R-months rule says eat raw oysters in months with an R (September to April). Most working farms welcome visitors by appointment — wear boots, bring cash, and plan to get wet.