Julie Qiu

Julie Qiu is an international oyster expert, educator, and founder of In A Half Shell, an oyster appreciation website. Here, Qiu shares her knowledge and recommendations of oysters with recipes, pairings, an Oyster 101, and an extensive frequently asked questions section. In a Half Shell was a finalist in the 2019 Saveur Blog Awards.

She is a self-proclaimed oyster sommelier and a Seafood Nutrition Partnership ambassador. She shares her love of oysters through masterclasses, bespoke events, and digital content. Qiu co-authored the tasting journal33 Oysters on the Half Shelland hosts the webcast Around the World in 80 Oysters.

Qiu and her vast bivalve expertise has been featured in Vogue, Food & Wine, the Chicago Tribune, USA Today, NPR, Huffington Post, Tech Insider, Somm TV, and Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix.

Qiu is the marketing director at Australis Aquaculture, a professional advisor to the Urban Assembly New York Harbor School, a friend of the Shellfish Growers Climate Coalition, and serves on the Billion Oyster Project Event Committee.

What's your desert island food and why?

"Oysters, obviously! They provide a ton of nutrients, can be eaten raw, but also delicious cooked, and are sustainable. Truly a perfect protein."

What's your favorite condiment and why?

"Smoked trout roe (on eggs or with plain rice is just pure happiness)."