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22nd July 2024
12:22pm BST
People have been left disturbed after finding out a pretty dark reality about eating oysters.
There are few foods more divisive than the oyster. To some, they're one of the most delicious seafoods you can have, whilst to others, they're just like necking back a massive bogey.
But whether you love them or hate them, you may not know this fact about them - they're eaten alive.
Chef Joseph DeCandia Jr, owner of Lenny's Clam Bar and Restaurant, has gone viral on TikTok after confirming this on the platform.
In the video on the New York establishment's channel, he explained that oysters aren't dead when you eat them.
He even showed how you can sometimes see them move and squirm when you drizzle them in lemon juice.
He's asked in the video: "Is it true that when you eat oysters they are alive?"
He responded: "Of course! When you open them up fresh, they are alive.
'Most times, if you squeeze lemon on those now, you'll see the motherf***er jiggle and move."
Whilst some were aware of this, others were left horrified by learning the inconvenient oyster truth.
One person commented: "I've never eaten oysters before & now that I know they're still alive I'll never try them."
Another disturbed oyster fan wrote: "I’ve been chugging down oysters my whole life I didnt know they were still alive."
Someone else was upset by the knowledge, but it doesn't sound like it will stop them enjoying the molluscs.
They wrote: "Whaaaa? I love raw oysters. Now I'm gonna be thinking this every time I eat them… cuz I ain’t stopping."
And a fourth said: "Never ever had oysters in my LIFE in my 25 years NEVER and will never ever."
It turns out that it's actually pretty essential for oysters to be eaten alive.
According to mobile oyster shucking service Oysters XO, a raw oyster might not be safe to eat if it's not alive.
Their website states: "Oysters are still alive as you eat them! In fact, if you are going to eat an oyster raw, it has to be alive or else it will no longer be safe to eat.
"In the case of oysters, alive means fresh! Trust us, you only want to be eating oysters that are alive."
