Inkampani ye-oyster ephakathi kweCalifornia ibonisa indlela i-oyster ifama ngayo
Iminyaka embalwa edlulileyo ngexesha lokuya eMzantsi Afrika, ndabona into ephawulekayo. Ndandihlala kwindawo yaseKafay Bay, ebizwa ngokuba yi "Wild Coast" yeMpuma Koloni yelizwe, xa elinye lamadoda asebenza endlwini yam yindwendwe yandibuza ukuba ndingathanda ii-oysters.
Andizange ndenzeke ngokukodwa, kodwa kwakhona, xa i-oyster ihlala yinto engalunganga? "Ngokuqinisekileyo," ndandichukumisa, ndamomotheka.
Khawucinge ngothushe, emva kwemizuzu embalwa, xa ebuya ngesitya sensimbi esigcwele i-oysters-kwaye amanzi aphuma emzimbeni wakhe nakwiingubo.
"Uwafumanaphi na?" Ndibuzile.
Wahleka. "Ulwandle."
Ngoku, andizange ndibe phantsi kokungakholelwa ukuba le yindlela eqhelekileyo yokuvuna i-oyster: Ndiyakwazi ukubala ngelinye icala inani labantu endiyaziyo ukuba ngubani ongakwazi ukukhulula ukudilika, angabi yedwa ekukhangekeleni i-bivalves. Kwaye kwakhona, andiyazi into eninzi malunga nama-oysters, ngaphandle kokuba bahlala emanzini etyuwa kwaye, ngezinye izihlandlo, bakhiqiza iiparele.
Oko konke kutshintshile ngeCawa elidlulileyo, ngexesha lokutyelela eMorro Bay, CA.
Ibali leNkampani yaseMorro Bay Oyster
"Unyuke kwangoko," uNeal Maloney, umninimzi we-Morro Bay Oyster Company, wakhala xa efika kum kufuphi nedoti enkulu yeedolophu emva kwe-6
Ndazibopha. "Ubomi bufutshane kakhulu ukulala, ngakumbi xa i-oyster ibandakanyeka."
Xa ndifunda malunga nokuhamba kwam nge-Highway 1 Discovery Route, uNeal wayebubele ngokwaneleyo ukulungiselela uhambo olukhethekileyo kwipulazi le-oyster yakhe yenkampani. Wayedidibana nam phambi kokuphuma kwelanga - kamva wandixelela ukuba wayengenaye umntu wasentsimini - ukuze ndibambe iifama ngokukhanya kakuhle.
Wachaza wathi: "Ndibe ngumphathi ukususela mhla ndaqalisa le nkampani, ngo-2008, ngoko bekude ixesha elide kuba kufuneka ndize kusebenze kusasa."
Yiyiphi into ekuthiwa uNeal usude uyenze ixesha lakhe. Emva kokufumana i-BS kwi-Marine Biology evela kwiYunivesithi yaseOregon ngo-2004, uNeal waqala ukusebenza kwiNkampani yaseTomales Bay Oyster, enyakatho yeSan Francisco.
Ngeeminyaka emine mane apho, akafumani nje ngolwazi olunzulu malunga nolimo lwama-oyster, kodwa kunye neshishini emva kwalo. Umhlala-phantsi womnini we-TBOC wagqiba isiqhwithi esipheleleyo se-Neal kwakudinga ukuqala iNkampani ye-Morro Bay Oyster.
Ifama ngokwayo ihlala emanzini angatyikiyo kwindawo yase-Morro Bay, emthunzini weeNqununu ezisixhenxe zeentaba ze-volcanic tower phezu kwedolophu, i-barge yayo eyinhloko igxeka ngokukrokra impawu ye-MBOC, ekhangeleke ngokukhethekileyo ngokugqithisa ukukhanya kwe-orange emva kwayo.
Ulungele isidlo sakusihlwa? U-Neal wabuza njengoko wayifake isikhephe kwisibini.
Ukudibana ne-Oyster Gold Gold Oyster
Andizange ndimphendule ngamagama - nje gulp. "Ngaba i-'Paradise Gold 'ibhekisela kule ntlobo ye-oyster, okanye ngaba ngulo gama nje olinike kulolu hlobo?"
Uthi igama lethu, "watsho i-oyster yakhe. "Ukunambitheka nokubunjwa kwala ma-oyster kuyingqayizivele kule nxalenye yaseCalifornia, ngenxa yobuninzi be-salinity kunye nobushushu bamanzi, kwanamaza. Ngoko, sifuna ukucinga ngala ma-oysters ngendlela efanayo umntu anokucinga ngayo ngentsimbi enqabileyo . "
Kodwa iinqununu zegolide zasePacific zininzi ngenxa yokukhulisa njengoko zendalo.
"Emva kokuba siphumelele kwi-nursery yethu, ii-oysters zihanjiswe apho," uyaqhubeka, ebhekise kwiininzi zemigca yeebhasikidi eziphuma kwi-barge kwi-concentric semi-circles.
"Bahamba nje ngaphaya kwezantsi kwaye bayidla iplankton, esinika i-flavour oyithandayo."
Emva kweenyanga ezili-12 ukuya kwiindawo ezibizwa ngokuthi "ukukhula", ii-oysters zivunwa ngabasebenzi bakaNeal, abazikhethela (ubukhulu) kwaye bahlole (ngomgangatho) ngesandla. Emva kokuba bephuma emanzini, banokungena kwiqhwa kunye nendlela yabo yokuya kwiivenkile, zombini kunye nakude kude neSanta Barbara, kwimiba yeeyure.
Ungayidla njani i-Oyster Morro Bay?
U-Neal uyayithanda ngokucacileyo umsebenzi wakhe - kwicala le-oyster-farm, kwaye, ngokucacileyo, kwicala leenkonzo zabathengi. Wavuya ngokukhawuleza kwi-wetsuit waza wangena emanzini ukuze ndifumane imifanekiso emihle, naphezu kobushushu obushushu bomoya, umoya kwaye, ngokuqinisekileyo, amanzi.
Ngoxa i-Morro Bay Oyster yenkampani yendawo yokudlela yayingaba makhadi kwixesha elizayo - uNeal wabonisa izakhiwo eziliqela ezicingwa ukuthenga ngexesha lokukhwela isikhephe esiya esikhungweni sasezidolophini - akayilindele ukuhamba ngeendwendwe rhoqo kwi-barge.
"Ungathenga ii-oyster zethu ngqo kwi-barge ukuba ufuna," wacacisa. "Kwaye nakwiimarike zendawo yomfama, ukuba awuzidla kwiitrante zasezidolophini, oko kukuthi."
Ndandizihlaziya. "Njengeziqhamo nemifuno."
"Kodwa bhetele," wamomotheka waza wamisa isikhephe.
Eneneni, into "eyinqaba" malunga nokulima kwe-oyster kukungafani nokulima okungekho oyster - ubeka endaweni yamanzi umhlaba, iplankton yesichumisi kunye nezandla zomntu ngokucophelela ekusebenzeni imishini.
(Kwaye kwakhona, iiparele azinalo ihlabathi elilinganayo.)