The unique and widely renowned Marennes basin specialises in refining oysters in shallow saltwater ponds known as “claires”. This gives them their distinctive hazelnut flavour, with a delicate balance of saltiness and sweetness.
Marennes Oléron oysters are the only oysters in France to hold both Protected Geographical Indication status (PGI, or IGP in French) and the Label Rouge quality label.
An oyster takes at least three years to grow, from spat to final refining. Each oyster produces a million eggs. Once fertilised, these become larvae that quickly attach themselves to collectors. These tiny oysters are then known as “spat”.
The following year, the young oysters are detached from their collectors. The best are placed in mesh bags and grown in oyster beds for two years.
They spend their final stage in the claires, for periods ranging from 14 days to four months, at densities ranging from three oysters to 3 kg of oysters per square metre.