The world’s largest oyster may have been found outside Grebbestad on the west coast. It is 40 centimeters long and thus five centimeters longer than the previous record.
“It’s a dinner for two,” says Bengt Klemming, who found the bug.
It was Tuesday that Bengt Klemming was out fishing for oysters with his sons. Bengt has worked with oyster fishing for almost 30 years and on this day they were looking for Grebbestad oysters. They had decided to try a new place and it was a decision they would not regret.
— When I first picked it up, I thought it was two oysters stuck together. Then I thought “wow this was really big”.
Japanese giant oyster
It turned out to be a 40-centimeter-long oyster of the “Magallana Gigas” variety, also called Japanese giant oyster or Pacific oyster. According to Bengt, that variety thrives very well outside Grebbestad.
— The water is very clear and rich in nutrients here, and in this particular place it was maybe three meters deep. They can be very large.
But at first Bengt did not believe that the oyster was a record size. It was his son Viktor who drew attention to the fact that it was a potential world record. According to the Guinness Book of Records, the world’s largest oyster was 35 centimeters long and of the same species. The oyster that Bengt found must therefore be five centimeters longer
— He’s the one who keeps track of Guinness records and stuff like that. But Guiness are now informed and now we’ll see when they get to Grebbestad.
Dinner for two
According to Bengt, it is perfectly fine to eat the oyster.
– Normally, you eat these at the pub, but then they are usually around ten centimeters. But you can absolutely eat this, just cut it up and it becomes a dinner for two.
While waiting for a visit from Guinness, the oyster has to settle for a place in a basket under the pier.
— I will keep it alive. I keep it in a basket by the bridge so it has access to the jaw.