WHAT IS MERROIR? "Place Matters You’ve heard of terroir as a descriptor of wine, cheese and honey. The land, water and climate contribute to the distinct qualities of the produce. There’s a similar term in shellfish, merroir, from the French word mer which means sea."
( Okay, so the French word mer has only 1 R but we see the term now popularized with 2 Rs. And that is the way it is spelled by this restaurant suppler, Merroir.me, a project from the Community Shellfish Company of Bremen Maine. Graciously they have shared text, photos and a video they made of Marsden and Bob at the Brewer's whole scallop farm.)
"So place matters. It’s an essential component of a shellfish’s flavor. The temperature of the water, the currents, the runoff from the land – all contribute to the type of plankton, trace minerals and elements of the water column. This in turn, creates the unique flavor-profile of an oyster, scallop, clam, mussel and lobster. Maine is home to a diverse and interesting landscape of growing areas and tastes within its 3,500 miles of coastline. Understanding the local “merroir” of a bay and the fresh water river that feeds it, is a key to appreciating the essence of her shellfish. The waters of Maine give each species its own merroir, or taste of Maine. The pristine waters of the Gulf of Maine boast well managed, sustainable fisheries and seafarms for hard and soft shell clams, rope grown mussels, dayboat scallops, farmed and wild scallops, oysters, Jonah and Peekytoe crab, kelp, a wide variety of ground fish, Atlantic salmon, Bluefin tuna and of course lobster. Each is a leading example of modern stewardship.
About Us
Meroir.Me is an informative forum for home-cooks and seafood enthusiasts. Here you will discover the source and the handling of the many wonderful seafood products being exported from Coastal Maine to fishmongers and restaurants in Connecticut and Westchester. In learning from the harvesters, fishermen and sea-farmers themselves who work on Maine’s waterfront today, we hope that you will be inspired to try our deliciously inventive recipes which were contributed by cookbook authors, restaurant chefs and home-cooks alike, all featuring Maine’s shellfish and seafood."
And here you can watch their video:
Doesn't this make you hungry for some delicious Maine farmed scallops from Penobscot Bay!
