merroir

English

Etymology

Neologism from French mer (“sea”) + terroir. Coined by Seattle Times food writer Greg Atkinson in March 2003.

Noun

merroir (uncountable)

1. The complete set of local conditions in which seafood is raised. The total characteristics or phenotype of an organism due to attributes such as harvest and cultivation technique, salinity, tides, local food sources, seasonality, and climate.
   • 2011, Greg Atkinson, At the Kitchen Table: The Craft of Cooking at Home:

     But unlike the nuanced terroir in the wine bottle, which can be difficult to grasp, the “merroir” in an oyster shell is quite easily detected.

   • 2012, Eric D. Lehman, A History of Connecticut Food:

     Without them, not only are we deprived of an excellent food source, but also the environment, the merroir they live in, is far poorer for it.