Malpeque Oysters

Malpeque Bay oysters won a prize at an exposition in 1900 and the name became a market standard. In 1915 a disease swept the beds and killed the great majority of the stock; the industry nearly ended, and what rebuilt it were the few oysters that proved resistant, whose descendants make up the modern population, so Malpeque disease is now a named condition and PEI oysters carry inherited resistance to it. They are cold-water oysters, growing slowly over four to seven years, which is credited with the firm texture and the clean salinity. Growers run bay tours and shucking demonstrations.

What you actually see

• The working leases - oyster beds and cages across the bay.
• The disease history - a stock rebuilt from the survivors of 1915.
• The tonging and shucking - traditional harvest methods demonstrated.
• The four to seven year growth - the slow cold-water cycle explained on tours.

When to go

September to April is the traditional season for eating them, when the water is cold; harvesting runs in spring and autumn. Summer tours operate but the eating season argument favours cold months.

Honest expectations

Tours are seasonal and weather-dependent. Much sold as Malpeque comes from elsewhere in PEI, since the name is used broadly. Winter harvest is done through the ice and is not a visitor activity.

Nearby

Kensington lies south; PEI National Park is east.