Oyster farming
in the Oléron Marshes
Jérémy Seguin oysters come from the Marennes d’Oléron basin (off the coast of the Charente-Maritime region of France), where a unique form of oyster farming is practised.
The geographical area of refining, cultivation and preparation of Marennes Oléron oysters extends over 27 communes covering 3 000 hectares, which are biologically rich. A Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) that defines an enclave of wild sea with strong winds and tides. They are the only French oysters to have this distinction of origin and quality.
In order for oysters from this region to be awarded the Marennes – Oléron PGI, three requirements must be met, which the Jeremy Seguin oysters fulfil: they must be cultivated on the French Atlantic coast, mature in ‘claires’ in one of the 27 communes of the basin and be packed in the Marennes Oléron area.
These coasts of the Atlantic Ocean are characterised by strong tides and winds. This particular climate gives them a fine and very particular taste.
The withdrawal of the waters produced by the tides forces the oysters to learn to live out of water by thickening their shells. These variations give them greater survival out of water at the time of sale, and they can remain at a controlled temperature (5 to 15 °C) for more than 10 days before final consumption.
Once they have been cultivated in the sea (3 to 5 years), they are transported to the oyster beds (‘claires’). A unique ecosystem, rich in minerals and nutrients, for their final refining or maturation over several weeks. This process produces a unique type of oyster with a mild and refined taste. It is precisely thanks to this diet that the oysters manage to rapidly regenerate their cellular tissues and absorb the unique characteristics of this environment. An environment marked by its ancient marshes converted into salt marshes (claires). Shallow, they fill with the rising tides and retain the water of the falling tides. This French method, unique in the world, is known as ‘maturation en claires’. The intense taste of the sea is attenuated by a more refined taste, without losing the marine essence.
The ‘Fine de Claire’ and ‘Spéciale de Claire’ oysters are matured according to the seasons. The jewel of the region is called ‘Fine de Claire Verte’. This rare and precious specimen has a medium fleshy texture and a very characteristic aqua-marine green colour given to it by an algae called ‘navicule bleue’. When the oysters filter this algae, this transfer of colour is produced, which makes them so unique.
Finally we have the diamond in the rough of our selection, ‘la Pousse en Claire’, cultivated for 6 months in the ‘claires’ at a density between 2 and 5 oysters per square metre. This low density allows it to develop an abundant and crunchy fleshiness that has earned it the Rouge Label, the highest quality certification. A seasonal and unique product with an inimitable taste. Because it is so fleshy, it retains little water inside the shell, resulting in a much sweeter taste than a ‘Fine de Claire’.
