Oyster Hasrvest

[Anchor Lead]

Oysters are sometimes called "the milk of the sea" in Korea, and they are now in season. Some 80 percent oysters caught in Korea come out of Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do Province, where the oyster harvest is well under way these days. We take you there and introduce a variety of oyster dishes in today’s close up.

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Fishermen in Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do Province are hard at work during the busiest time of the year. Oysters are in season. Tongyeong oysters are tasty and nutritious as they grow on plankton in the clean South Sea waters.

[Soundbite] Prof. Cha Yun-hwan(Soongeui Women's College) : "Oysters were called "meat produced by the sea" from the old days. They contain that much quality protein. They're also known to be good for our stamina. This is because the substance taurine in oysters helps to detoxify our body."

Some 40 tons of oysters are gathered each day. The freshly caught produce is carried to a nearby work house where the shell and eggs are separated.

[Soundbite] Lee Sang-hee(Shell Remover) : "The oyster is so soft removing the shell using a machine will damage it. So workers must do it manually."

At one corner, a meal is being prepared and yes, using oysters. The seasoned raw oyster dish is made with pear, water parsley and various other veggies. To make oyster soup, oysters are first stir fried in sesame oil to which radish slices, salt and water are later added. Last but not least, savory oyster pancakes are made by coating oysters with flour and egg batter which then go into the pan. A table full of healthy oyster dishes has been prepared.Now we head to a restaurant specializing in oyster dishes. Here they serve oyster pizza and oyster gratin.

[Soundbite] Song Yong-ho(Runs Restaurant Serving Oyster Dishes) : "Tongyeong is famous for oysters. So I thought of interesting oyster dishes that I could develop."

Spinach, tomato and cheese go on the pizza dough as well as cooked oyster. Now the pizza goes into the oven for a good bake. For the gratin, the cooked oyster is first diced and then sauteed in garlic and oil. Then add vegetables, cream sauce and macaroni to the mix, and boil it down. Place the cream-covered oyster and macaroni inside an oyster shell. Sprinkle some spinach and cheese on top and the gratin goes into the oven. Don't the dishes look absolutely mouthwatering?

[Soundbite] Kim Hee-seung(Customer) : "My child loves pizza. The oyster topping makes it all the more nutritious."

Oysters make it onto our tables through the efforts of many people. Do try them out while they're in season. You won't regret it.