A slimy sea creature sliding down your esophagus is what food snobs may call high-class cuisine.

But beyond the fancy white tablecloths and silly little forks sits Rowan Jacobsen, an award winning food author and oyster aficionado who recently stopped by the Mine Oyster restaurant in Boothbay Harbor to taste what he calls “the perfect oyster.”

What started as a childhood fascination in Florida grew into a pearl of wisdom for Jacobsen. He remembers the days of walking into an oyster bar and being handed a list of names that meant absolutely nothing to him.

“I wanted to know what was the difference between a Glidden Point and a Norumbega oyster,” Jacobsen said.

So the oyster lover set out to write “A Geography of Oysters: The Connoisseur’s Guide to Oyster Eating in North America,” and modeled his work after the concept that oysters are just like wine; every region has its own unique brand.

Jacobsen soon discovered that Maine is the Napa Valley for oysters because the cold, sheltered seacoast produces a crisp, firm texture and salty taste that connoisseurs savor.

“I don’t think you people realize how lucky you are to have all these oysters in one setting,” Jacobsen told a sold out crowd of oyster fanatics, who were treated to a sumptuous seven-course meal, teeming with waterfalls of white wine.

The special event was presented by Mine Oyster owner Ralph Smith, wine specialist Kelly Cuture, and a colorful cast of Maine sea farmers as unique as the oysters they harvested.

At the end of the bar sat Abigail Carroll of Nonesuch Oysters. Her catch comes from the marshy waters of Scarborough River, which gives her oysters a “delicate grassy undertone.”

Taking in the scene from the corner was Jeff “Smokey” McKeen. If Jeff Bridges' character “The Dude” from “The Big Lebowski” became an oyster farmer, he would be McKeen, the purveyor of Pemaquid Oysters. McKeen's harvest of plump and succulent oysters were as wild as his untamed head of curls.

Although the courses were extravagant (wood fire roasted fennel oysters, passion fruit pearls with champagne strawberry vinaigrette), the dinner carried a humble theme, without the slightest hint of the pretentiousness commonly experienced in the big city oyster bars.

Jacobsen bumped around the room like a pinball, casually chatting up diners as they indulged in seafood heaven.  

While there is a sophistication that comes with the oyster territory, for Jacobsen, it's the simple essence of interacting with his food in a primeval way.

“If you're gathering your own oysters and you're just pulling them up out of the water and eating them, it doesn't get any more direct than that,” Jacobsen said.  

A freelance writer who has been featured in the New York Times, Harper's Outside, and the Best Food Writing Collections, Jacobsen's book has been reviewed as a playful and comprehensive approach that comes replete with maps, history, recommendations and recipes for the delectable shellfish.  

As the evening carried on, a peculiar mood set in. Everybody seemed elated under the oyster's enigmatic spell, and for the moment, our collective consciousness was lifted to a higher ground as Jacobsen summed up the multi-layered experience of the Maine oyster.

“Generally most people like an oyster that's firm, it's got to have a little tooth to it, a little bite and then salty, and then the savory quality,” Jacobsen said. “And then, right at the end, it just goes to sweetness.”