Belon (France)
Belon River, Brittany 🌎 See Oyster Map
The most famous oyster in the world, Belons are harvested from all over France and finished in special walled ponds (“claires”) in the brackish waters of the Belon River, a process the French call “affinage.”
- Species: European Flat
- Cultivation: Rack-and-bag
- Salinity: Briny
- Size: Average
- Region: France
Belon (France) (4 Ratings)
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Full-bodied and crunchy, with lots of iodine and astringent walnut skin on the finish. Impressive! Sampled at several different spots in Paris, April 2024.
The oyster growing scene changes very rapidly in the US. Flats, although still hard to come by, now come in a variety of sizes, up to French 00 size. I must say some taste close to true “belons”.
True “belons” are farmed in the Belon River in Brittany, hence their incomparable taste because of the mèroir. As such they deserve a perfect 5* rating.
European flats, aka. Native flats, (Ostrea edulis) are also grown to a similar taste in England (Colchester), Ireland, Holland, and the USA (Maine).
These are fascinating, yet strange. They certainly have that “hazelnut” flavor people describe in France, but they also have a lot of iodine and cedar, plus that battery-on-the-tongue thing. They are smaller than you expect, and very fun to eat, though I’m not sure why. Americans, you can’t get these, but if you travel to Montreal, La Mer brings them in every April.