Salty. Sweet. Velvet on the lips. Just like a first kiss.
    Oysters have earned their romantic reputation.
    So steeped in lore and history are these elegant shellfish that Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, was said to have risen from the sea on an oyster shell.
    Much sought after and consumed for centuries, they brought their weight in gold from Roman emperors while legendary lover Casanova is reputed to have started every meal by consuming dozens of oysters for their stimulative properties.
    There are the Wellfleets of Cape Cod or the esteemed Belon from the rocky shores of Britanny, but some of the world’s best come from the waters of Prince Edward Island’s north shore — home to the world-renowned Malpeque Bay oyster.
    From their property overlooking the warm, shallow inlet, the Burleigh family has been harvesting oysters since the 1890s and shipping them worldwide almost as long.
It was an oyster from their Peter Creek bed that was judged the tastiest in the world at the 1900 Paris exhibition.
    Last year they shipped about 60,000 pecks of oysters, primarily to the U.S. and Quebec, from the 54 hectares of deeded ground they hold on the floor of the bay.
    ‘‘It’s a unique taste. I like them raw and I would recommend that way to experience their true flavour,’’ said Troy Burleigh, co-owner of the family business, which now ships under the Uncle Willy’s brand.
    The ideal oyster is between seven and 10 centimetres long, well cupped and moist and contains clear not cloudy liquor with an aroma that smells of the sea.
    ‘‘The oyster shouldn’t be gapping or, if it is, just very slightly. When you tap it, it should close. If it doesn’t, it’s dead,’’ he said.
    Burleigh said it’s also very important that you know the source of the oyster by asking the retailer if they carry a proper shellfish harvest tag from a registered fishplant.
    ‘‘You want to make sure they weren’t harvested in a contaminated area.’’
    Many enthusiasts enjoy their oysters unadorned or simply with a small squeeze of lemon juice or Tabasco sauce.
    Others enjoy classic preparations — a mignonette with shallots and vinegar or a heat-stoking chili sauce.
    Oysters can be poached, baked, fried, even done on the barbecue.
    For Sean Doucet, executive chef at the Delta Hotels in Halifax, oysters are indeed something special.
    ‘‘It’s their freshness when they’re opened up and eaten,’’ said the veteran designer of seafood dishes and menus.
    ‘‘It’s the minerality they absorb from the areas in which they grow and the way they pair with classics like champagne.’’
    Doucet said as good as they are ‘‘au naturel,’’ oysters do lend themselves to a host of wonderful preparations.
    ‘‘When I think about oysters hot, I always see them as an appetizer,’’ said Doucet.
    ‘‘I think you can do almost anything, from the classic Rockefeller to having them with stewed white beans and pancetta.’’
    One of his offerings, called ‘‘Melt-In-Your-Mouth Oysters,’’ incorporates a small piece of bacon along with a bit of brie and some shallots.
    ‘‘You get that little crisp smoky flavour from the bacon that goes so well.’’
    The preference of most restaurants is the fancy or large choice oysters with uniform shape to the shells because they make for a much more dramatic presentation when plated.
    As with anything it’s what you put on them that the diet-concious need fear.
    But eaten raw, oysters are as protein-rich as beef with only one per cent of the fat and no cholesterol.
    In addition, the flesh is laden with vitamins and minerals.