Lüderitz Oysters at Walvis Bay

Some of the best cold-water oysters in southern Africa

The oyster farms in the Walvis Bay lagoon and the colder waters off Lüderitz produce some of the best oysters in Africa. Several restaurants in town serve them by the dozen — usually freshly shucked, sometimes with a glass of South African sparkling wine. Most of the catamaran trips on the lagoon stop briefly at one of the inner oyster farms for a tasting on the water.

Try them at The Raft, Anchors at the Jetty, or the no-frills oyster stand near the Mola Mola jetty. Expect to pay around N$80–120 for half a dozen. Best eaten with nothing more than a squeeze of lemon — the flavour is briny, fresh, and surprisingly delicate. Avoid in the warmer summer months when blooms can affect water quality.

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Pacific oysters were introduced to the cold Atlantic waters off the Namibian coast in the 1980s; the plankton-rich Benguela current produces oysters that take six months to reach the size that would take three years in warmer water — and the flavour is correspondingly intense. Local hands consider them a match for the best of Brittany.