The odds of finding a pearl in an oyster are so minute that many of us daren’t even dream about it. For one lucky Dutch chef, however, the pearls…umm, we mean the odds were ever in his favour.
Cheerfully quipping that he’d also bought a staatslot (a ticket for the national lottery) to capitalise on his luck, chef Marco Blok from restaurant MEI in Amersfoort was in high spirits after his discovery.
The find had Marco flashing his pearly whites
Halfway through his task of shucking six oysters, Marco came across a little white ball.
Thinking that it was a swelling of some sort at first, he soon realised that what he was holding was a pearl, reports AD.
Although he’d been working with oysters for much of his 32-year career, this was the first pearl he’d ever found. 🦪
Getting over his initial shock, Marco then rushed to show the pearl to the customers that had ordered the oysters.
Some pearls of wisdom from a jeweller
However, Francis Hage of jewellery company Pure & Timeless (which often sells pieces with pearls), had to give AD some rather disappointing news.
According to Hage, precious and valuable pearls are mostly found in areas of warmer water, unlike oysters from France or the Netherlands.
This didn’t put a damper on Marco’s excitement, however, as the chef was more invested in the emotional value of his discovery than the monetary one.
What do you think of Marco’s fascinating find? Tell us all about it in the comments below!
