How to Eat Oysters, Clams on Half Shell

Once upon a time, I didn’t know how to eat oysters and clams on the half shell.

I love seafood! But, generally, I like it cooked versus raw. But several of my favorite dining establishments offer raw oysters and clams on the half shell. So, the question I originally had is perhaps a question you also have.

And that is, “How do you eat oysters and clams on the half shell?”

What is the correct etiquette to enjoy the experience and feel confident at the same time?

First, raw shellfish is a divisive topic. Sucking down uncooked oysters and clams definitely isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But people have been doing it since at least the 17th century. So, what about today?

Sounds Delish

I was honored to be interviewed for Delish Magazine’s Food & Culture Editor Felicia LaLomia’s great article on this same topic: How to Eat Oysters, Clams on the Half Shell. You can read her article, “A Complete Guide to Eating Oysters, Clams on the Half Shell”  in Delish here.

You may also like to read Dining Etiquette Skills Still Relevant in Pandemic – 3 Reasons.

Image source: Summit Club Tulsa. Used with permission.  All rights reserved.

Rachel Wagner is a licensed business etiquette consultant, trainer, and speaker. She is the owner of the Oklahoma-based business etiquette firm Rachel Wagner Etiquette and Protocol. www.EtiquetteTrainer.com. Rachel provides onsite and LIVE virtual training presentations on a variety of business and dining etiquette topics for corporate clients around the country. As an etiquette expert, she is interviewed and quoted in a variety of local and national media outlets. These include The Washington Post, MONEY, Forbes, and many more. She is also newly credentialed as a VEP, a Virtual Event Professional, and Zoom Producer.