“He was a bold man that first ate an oyster.”
— Jonathan Swift
I remain an aspiring pescatarian, allowing myself occasional portions of red meat and fowl, and reserving my deeper worries for other matters. At the same time, I have no qualms whatever with those of my brethren who seek loftier restrictions on their caloric intake.
Presented for your approval, this consideration of oysters and veganism. The bivalve’s exception wouldn’t have occurred to me, but there’s an argument to be made.
‘I’ll have them with hot sauce’: should vegans eat oysters?, by Emma Bryce (The Guardian)
Bivalve veganism is built on the idea that molluscs such as mussels and oysters do not possess a brain and are unable to process pain, so eating them does not cause animal suffering. This has prompted a simmering philosophical debate: can vegans really consume oysters?
Discuss among yourselves.
If you’ve already determined that it’s okay to eat oysters (cuz they don’t have any feelings), remember that the the wood fired oysters at Pizza Lupo are a national treasure; when they’re available, run — don’t walk — to 1540 Frankfort Ave. and surrender to the bivalve.
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“Edibles & Potables” is Food & Dining Magazine’s Sunday slot for news and views that range beyond our customary metropolitan Louisville coverage area, as intended to be food (and drink) for thought.
Previously:
Edibles & Potables: The story of Thomas Downing, New York City’s Black oyster king
