The Globe’s Local News Updates blog recently brought us a great story. It seems that last month, Foxboro’s Scott Oliver and Judi Hershman went to the Red Wing Diner in Walpole for a nice dinner. Midway through, Oliver bit into one of the deep-fried oysters the couple had ordered and discovered that this particular oyster was harboring more than just briny goodness. This oyster had a pearl! The couple was, understandably, excited. After all, natural and uncultivated pearls are extremely rare and valuable. When they took the pearl to a jeweler to be assessed, however, its monetary value was estimated at a mere $20. Why? Cindi Haddad, the jeweler in question, pointed out that the pearl wasn’t yet fully coated and that its shape was not perfect. Moreover, she offered this piece of wisdom: “There’s a very good possibility that deep-frying did it no favors at all.”
That pretty much sums up our feelings about oysters in general: they’re delicious in their natural state, so why mess with perfection? Eating your oyster raw, the way nature intended it, is not only tasty as all get out, but it also increases your likelihood of finding a pearl. Sounds like a good deal to us!
All that glitters in an oyster … is not a priceless pearl [Boston Globe]
