San Michele oyster, the new Made in Italy excellence born in Puglia

Beautiful, elegant and fleshy, with unmistakable mother-of-pearl contours that turn black. AND'  the San Michele oyster, fruit of Armando Tandoi's passion – “Oyster man” to his friends – for his land where he has chosen to raise the queen of molluscs. In Lake Varano, an uncontaminated oasis in the Gargano National Park, in Puglia, a new excellence of "made in Italy" is born, ready to be served on the tables of the planet after its debut on 25 March next in Milan at Identità greedy, the kermesse by Paolo Marchi.

Very clear salty waters and sweet springs, combined with the heat of the spur of Italy, guarantee an absolutely favorable environment for the harmonious development of the mollusk whose name is dedicated to the Archangel protector of the Gargano.

"We have already demonstrated that in Italy a competitive product can be obtained thanks to the farming of our oysters in the Po delta" - says Tandoi, 35, general manager of Oyster Oasis, a company founded with Corrado Tenace, one of the leading oyster experts in our country – “Farming the San Michele oyster today in one of the most beautiful places in the world, I can say that the results have exceeded expectations. We have obtained a product that allows us to qualitatively surpass even leading countries in international oyster farming”.

With a slightly iodized impact, the San Micheles are tasted for their sweetness and vegetable complexity, for their intense mineral notes and hints of dried fruit. During the breeding, which lasts two years, the oysters whose scientific name is "crassostrea gigas", are first immersed in water inside the lanterns for the so-called pre-fattening, then once they have reached the right size, they are glued by hand on the hanging ropes to the ancient palisades once used for mussels in the lagoon. Manually raised from the water to reproduce the effect of the tides, they are then left in the sun, moon and bad weather until harvested.

There are over 200 types of oysters that Oyster Oasis brings to dishes around the world to which San Michele is now added. Sapid, with intense aromas, oysters have been a food of the gods from the dawn of humanity to the present day, passing from the times of Nero's Rome when they arrived by ship from Britain to delight Roman palates.

Today, after centuries in which they were forbidden as they were considered lustful for their aphrodisiac aspects, they are appreciated so much that they are even dedicated to the figure of a powerful archangel.