Shucking

Shucking opens the two halves of a bivalve shell, most often an oyster, to reach the meat inside. The standard tool is a short, thick-bladed oyster knife, roughly five centimeters long, which is worked into the hinge between the shell halves to sever the adductor muscle holding them shut; because the blade can slip and the shells themselves are sharp, experienced shuckers often wear heavy protective gloves. Oyster shucking has developed into a competitive skill in its own right, with dedicated shucking competitions and championships held around the world, and a highly skilled shucker can open a shell in well under three seconds.