Date:1870
Source: Courtesy of the New York Public Library
As the delegates journeyed across the Eastern United States, they were often served oysters at events and parties. Kunitake Kume attributed their frequent oyster-eating to the abundance of oyster beds in the New York Bay and Americans’ view of the shellfish as a delicacy. Kume didn’t disagree – he thought that oysters were both delicious and a useful digestive aid.