Rochambeau Oyster

Rochambeaus are rack and bag cultured oysters from the mouth of one of the larger tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay, the York River. The proximity to the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and the great Atlantic Ocean mixed with the fresh water from the York River create a quintessential bay oyster with the perfect blend of salt, sweet and a clean crisp finish. The farm is a family run affair and their history in the industry goes back to 1899. The oysters were wild, and bottom grown for most of the company’s history but today the company, as run by the founders’ two grandsons, is focused solely on aquaculture as a means to returning the Chincoteague Bay oyster to a place of prominence. Their use of the rack and bag system is new to the area and keeps the oysters up out of the mud and in the water column where food quality and quantity are vastly improved. The oysters are watched carefully over the course of their grow out. Bag densities are kept low, slow growers and those with misshapen shells are culled out. The results of this effort are wonderfully uniform and well shaped oysters with a plump meat.