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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
Lifestyle
London - Asharq Al-Awsat

French Normandy Serves World’s Best Oysters

Almost two third of French clams are caught along the Normandy coast. (AFP)

In a beautiful town overlooking the English Channel, you can spot piles of hundreds of oysters in all the shapes and colors you can imagine at the Port-en-Bessin-Huppain. As of early October, you can find oysters that are at least 11 cm long at the fish auction store, according to the German news agency.

The French town features one of the best oyster fishing ports. The auction store is found at the end of the port, but it’s open only for fishermen and merchants, with few exceptions such as "Le Gout du Large" (Taste of Sea), an oyster festival held annually at the Port-en-Bessin-Huppain since 2004, usually in November.

"There is no better place that deserves to host this festival more than the Port-en-Bessin-Huppain," said fisherman Jérôme Vicquelin who inherited his profession from his father and ancestors.

He is proud of the legacy and sees fishing as a passion not a profession.

Fishing is the best industry in this town. If you are fond of oysters, France is the world’s best places to catch it alongside Ireland and Scotland. Almost two third of French clams are caught along the Normandy coast.

Oysters are fished using dredgers which search on groundwater levels and collect oysters with a net. Fishing operations have been strictly controlled for years, but oyster lovers say oysters of the Seine River are the best in the Normandy.

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