Apalachicola sits postcard-perfect on the edge of Apalachicola Bay. Although seafood is a major industry here, the place began as a lumber port and cotton town.
Art Meripol
Apalachicola Oysters: What's So Special?
In 2006 noted food writer John T. Edge administered an oral history study about Apalachicola oysters and oyster fishermen
with the Southern Foodways Alliance, out of The University of Mississippi. "The oysters there are among the best in the nation,"
he said. "They are fat, abundant, rich, and lusty. The oysters are both sweet and salty, and it's the interplay of the freshwater
of the river and the salt water from the Gulf, forming an estuary, that makes the difference and sustains these vibrant oysters.
It's about the confluence of that river and the Gulf of Mexico. The uniqueness of that combination, along with the timeless
appeal of the fishing village of Apalachicola, is hard to match anywhere in the country. There are a number of restaurants
across the country that only serve Apalachicola oysters."
For more about the oysters and fishermen of Apalachicola, visit www.southernfoodways.com under the heading of "Oral History."
Morning comes gently to Apalachicola. Oyster boats and shrimpboats begin their daily pilgrimages into the seafood-rich bay as the sun rises on the Northwest Florida coast. The lights twinkle on in this fishing village, its residents ready for another day in unspoiled paradise. If you ever wondered if such a place still exists, yes, old Florida lives here. A lone blinking yellow light directs the downtown traffic. Come and stay awhile in this wonderful, walkable, watery hamlet. Try the pace on for size.
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