Mussel

Mussel is a bivalve mollusk with dark, oblong shells and plump orange meat. It tastes briny-sweet with a tender, slightly springy bite, and the shells open readily when steamed. Common uses include steaming with wine and aromatics, folding into pasta or paella, grilling on the half shell, and adding to curries and chowders. Sold mostly live in mesh bags or as frozen cooked meats.

Coastal peoples have harvested mussels for millennia; modern aquaculture, especially rope-grown blue mussels in Europe and North America and green-lipped mussels in New Zealand, supplies most markets. They are staples in French and Belgian bistro cooking, appear in Spanish and Italian seafood dishes, and feature across Southeast and East Asian cuisines. Farming typically uses suspended ropes or rafts in clean, cold waters, which limits grit.