The Christmas season brings together a variety of traditional dishes and favorite foods across the United States.
For people who live in or trace their ancestry to South Carolina's Lowcountry, Christmas means roasted oysters.
“When the temperatures start to drop in Charleston, South Carolina, it's time to roast oysters,” Juan and Gee Smalls, chefs and owners of Virgil's Gala Kitchen and Bar in Georgia, told Fox News Digital. told.
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The “Gullah” in Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen and Bar comes from the Gullah Geechee, an African American cultural heritage found on the southeast coast of the United States.
According to the Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, the Gullah-Geechee people are descendants of enslaved West and Central Africans brought to the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida.
Roast oysters are a popular Christmas tradition in South Carolina. (Juan and G. Smalls)
Juan and Gee Smalls told Fox News Digital that Charleston has “pristine growing conditions” for oysters that, in their opinion, are some of the best in the world.
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“It is very common for Gullah-Geechee residents to invite friends and family over for an oyster roast in their backyard.The oysters are sandwiched between a tin block and a wet towel, and watered as needed. Roast it over the fire while spraying it,” Smalls said.
The oysters are roasted until the shells begin to crack (“just a little bit”) and then spread out on the table with condiments such as hot sauce, butter, and horseradish.
According to Juan and Gee Smalls, the oysters are roasted until they split and served with butter. (Jennifer Causey)
“If you like it a little spicier, wait until the shell is fully open, but where we come from, it's a sin to eat it that way,” says G. Smalls.
Brandon Rushing, a chef from Edisto Island, South Carolina, also spoke to Fox News Digital about his fond memories of roasting oysters at Christmas.
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“Oysters are a beloved delicacy in the Low Countries, and roasting oysters on Christmas Eve is a long-standing tradition in my family,” Rushing said.
Mr. Rushing is currently the chef and owner of Briney Swine Smokehouse & Oyster Bar in Chicago.
Chef Brandon Rushing (not pictured) said the Christmas Eve oyster roast is a “time-honored tradition” in South Carolina's Lowcountry. (Getty Images)
Rushing remembers gatherings with family and friends. “Oysters are cooked in their shells around an outdoor bonfire or specially designed grill. The oysters are placed directly on the coals or placed on a grill, and the heat causes the shells to pop.”Removal becomes easier. ”
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“The communal nature of roast oysters makes them perfect for holiday gatherings,” he said. “It also reflects the seafood culture of the area and the coastal environment where oysters are abundant.”
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For Rushing, “this tradition isn't just about the food, it's also about the social experience during Christmas time.”
