"Swift is right to commend that first hearty gastronome who, throwing caution to the wind, slurped down the first oyster, savoring that exhilarating salt taste of the sea as it burst upon the tongue. Perhaps he had seen gulls drop the shells from a great height to the rocks below and perceived that there was something tasty inside. (What inspired the gull to figure this out remains a mystery but apparently chickens are particularly fond of the shell itself.) Since that day, oysters have occupied a unique position in our culinary history. Few comestibles have been as celebrated and scorned, relished and rejected as this humble bivalve."
Read the full story at forbes.com.