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During the Christmas season, many different culinary traditions as well as favorite dishes come together across the US
For people who live in the Low Country of South Carolina, or those who trace their ancestry there, Christmas is synonymous with one thing: oyster roasts.
“When the temperatures start to drop in Charleston, South Carolina, it’s time to grill oysters,” Juan and Gee Smalls, chefs and owners of Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen and Bar in Georgia, told Fox News Digital.
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The “Gullah” in Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen & Bar comes from the Gullah Geechee – an African-American cultural heritage found on the coast of the southeastern United States.
The Gullah Geechee people are descended from enslaved West and Central Africans who were brought to the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida, according to the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor.
Baked oysters are a favorite Christmas tradition in South Carolina. (Juan and Gee Smalls)
Juan and Gee Smalls told Fox News Digital that Charleston has “pristine growing conditions.” for oysters – and, in their opinion, are one of the best in the world.
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“It’s very common for the Gullah Geechee natives to have friends and family over for oyster roasts in their backyards. The oysters are roasted over a fire, sandwiched between a tin block and wet towels, sprinkling water when/if necessary,” Gee said Smalls.
The oysters are being baked until the shells start to crack – “just a little” – then they are spread on the tables, served with hot sauce, butter, horseradish or other spices.
The oysters are broiled until they open, Juan and Gee Smalls said, and then served with butter. (Jennifer Causey)
“If you like them a little drier, wait until the shells are completely open, but it’s a sin to eat them like that where we’re from,” said Gee Smalls.
Chef Brandon Rushing, originally from Edisto Island, South Carolina, also told Fox News Digital about his fond memories of eating baked oysters on Christmas.
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“In the Low Country, oysters are a favorite treat, and roasting oysters on Christmas Eve is a cherished tradition in my family,” Rushing said.
Rushing is now the chef and owner of Briny Swine Smokehouse & Oyster Bar in Chicago.
Chef Brandon Rushing (not pictured) said roasting oysters on Christmas Eve is an “age-old tradition” in South Carolina’s Low Country. (Getty Images)
Rushing recalls gatherings with family and friends “outdoors around open fires or specially designed grills, where oysters are cooked in their shells. Oysters are placed directly on coals or on the grill, where the heat opens the shells, making them easy to remove. ”
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“The communal nature of an oyster roast makes it the perfect holiday gathering,” he said. “It also reflects the regional seafood culture and coastal environment where oysters abound.”
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For Rushing, “this tradition isn’t just about food, it’s also a social experience during Christmas.”
