WILMINGTON, NC — October 23, 2012 — Topsail selects. Lockwood Folly rocks. Masonboro clusters. This is the local lingo that labels our beloved bivalves. With oyster season's official opening last week, these names and others are appearing once again, scrawled anew across chalkboards of area fish houses as mollusk maniacs dream of rollicking roasts and raw bars.
But when it comes to oysters, there might not be any name more widely recognized than Stump Sound. Occupying a prime spot on the backside of Topsail Island's north end, Stump Sound has long produced oysters that area residents associate with best-in-show qualities.
Environmental scientist Russ Barbour says this isn't just a coincidence; oysters develop a sense of place some palates find every bit as distinguishable as a fine wine's terroir.
"Here's the thing: All of those oysters are the same species: Crassostrea virginica," said Barbour, a New Bern native who admits a personal bias despite his years of objective scientific study, thanks to passing many weekends shucking bushels of Stump Sound oysters at his grandfather's place in Sneads Ferry as a child. "What happens is you get variations in flavor based on where they're living. Stump Sound has a certain set of conditions, a little higher salinity in the water, so they usually have a saltier flavor."
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