From an editor of the #1 bestselling The Good Food Guide, award-winning writer Drew Smith presents Oyster: A Gastronomic History — a richly detailed exploration of one of the world’s most celebrated ingredients.

Blending culinary insight with cultural storytelling, this beautifully curated volume features 50 delicious recipes alongside a sweeping global history of the oyster, tracing its influence in cooking, art, literature, politics, and legend from ancient times to today.

Oysters have inspired chefs, painters, and writers, sustained coastal communities both financially and ecologically, and played surprising roles in myth and history. Using the oyster as its unifying theme, the book is thoughtfully organized by time periods and geographical regions, weaving together:

• Colorful historical anecdotes
• Eye-opening scientific insights
• Striking visual elements

The collection of 50 recipes ranges from traditional country classics to contemporary creations from some of the world’s most acclaimed restaurants — making this an essential volume for food lovers, historians, and curious cooks alike.