Christmas means oyster roasts in this Southern state: 'Beloved delicacy'
During the Christmas season, many different culinary traditions as well as favorite foods come together across the U.S.
For people living in South Carolina's Low Country or for those who trace their ancestry there, Christmastime is synonymous with one thing: oyster roasts.
"When the temperatures start to drop in Charleston, South Carolina, it's time for an oyster roast," Juan and Gee Smalls, the 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 and Bar comes from 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 brought to the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida, according to the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor.
Juan and Gee Smalls told Fox News Digital that Charleston has "pristine growing conditions" for oysters – and, in their opinion, are some of the best in the world.
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"It's very common for Gullah Geechee natives to have friends and family over for an oyster roast, hosted in their backyards. Oysters are roasted over a fire, sandwiched between a block of tin and wet towels, spraying water when/if needed," Gee Smalls said.
The oysters are roasted until the shells start to crack – "just a bit" – and are then spread out on tables, served with hot sauce, butter, horseradish or other condiments.
"If you like them a bit dryer, wait until the shells are completely open, but it's a sin to eat them like that where we're from," Gee Smalls said.
Chef Brandon Rushing, a native of Edisto Island, South Carolina, also told Fox News Digital about his fond memories of eating roasted oysters at Christmas.
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"In the Low Country, oysters are a beloved delicacy, and Christmas Eve oyster roasts are a time-honored tradition in my family," Rushing said.
Rushing is now the chef and owner of Briny Swine Smokehouse & Oyster Bar in Chicago.
Rushing recalls gathering with family and friends "outdoors around an open fire or specially designed grills, where oysters are cooked right in their shells. The oysters are either placed directly on the coals or on a grill, where the heat causes the shells to pop open, making them easy to remove."
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"The communal nature of the oyster roast makes it a perfect holiday gathering event," he said. "It also reflects the region's seafood culture and the coastal environment where oysters are abundant."
For Rushing, "this tradition is not just about the food, but the social experience during Christmastime."