Similar to terroir with vineyards, merroir is how the ocean’s conditions affect the taste of seafood. The clearest example is with oysters, which, as bivalves, feed by filtering large volumes of ocean water. “These little filters gather all of the information from where they are—not just from the algae, but the seagrass, the top growth, the bottom growth, stony clay or sand,” says chef Jason Ryczek of Best of Award of Excellence winner Little’s Oyster Bar in Houston. “The flavor is also dependent on where they are in the brackish in the time of year, even when it rains. An oyster can taste different every week.”

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