Oysters Are Actually Extremely Unappealing On Paper

Although humans have been eating oysters for centuries, the value — and society's opinion — of oysters has fluctuated dramatically. According to Food Worth Writing For, oysters were considered a delicacy by the ancient Greeks and Romans, and enjoyed only by the wealthy. However, this all changed by the 1800s, when oysters were found in abundance and became an affordable meal for the working class, particularly in New York City (via the Oyster Gourmet).

As we know, oysters are again considered a delicacy, mainly due to scarcity from overharvesting and other environmental factors. While this is of course a devastating blow to the environment, not too many people seem to be upset about no longer having easy access to eating fresh oysters. In fact, many people are totally fine with it, even going so far as to describe oysters as what they are – slimy blobs of salt. Well, internet users said it better, so we'll let them do the talking.

Don't get us wrong, there are still plenty of people who enjoy eating oysters, and who even get a craving for oysters, but many of us just don't see the appeal. As noted by one Buzzfeed reader, "[Oysters] taste like dirty sea water and have the extremely unappealing texture of snot."

Another person shared their thoughts on Reddit's Unpopular Opinion thread, which should already tell you everything you need to know. Despite being a fan of seafood, this person wrote, "In order to make oysters half-palatable, they require crackers, sauce, and a ton of lemon." A Barstool Sports blog writer agreed, saying that they'd only ever eaten oysters to "fit in," and doing so involved "three or four separate orders" of sauce to drown the little "boogers" in.

If those lovely tales weren't enough, there's actually another very serious reason to avoid eating oysters. According to the CDC, eating raw oysters can lead to illness caused by Vibrio bacteria. We can't speak for everyone, but we don't love the thought of getting food poisoning from slurping snot out of shells.