BLUE MUSSEL

Name: BLUE MUSSEL
Latin: Mytilus edulis
English: Blue Mussel

Family: Mytilidae

Trading forms:
frozen (-18º C), whole, half shell or meat, IQF (individually frozen)

Presentation: whole, half shell or meat, IQF (individually frozen)

Origin: Spain, Italy, Romania, Chile

Size: – blue mussel meat 100- 200 pieces/ kilo, 200-300 pieces/ kilo
- half shell 41/50 pieces/ kilo

Preparation: boiled, fried, soup, coated, oven baked, marinated, smoked, added in salads

Nutritional value: mineral salts, selenium, phosphorus, iron and vitamins A, B1, B12, B6, C, K.

Recipes: see www.DonMariano.ro

Blue mussels are large, edible marine mollusks, with its body enclosed between two hard, almost triangular, purplish-brown valves.

Mussels are found stuck on the rocks and stones on the coasts of the oceans and seas, or are bred in special farms. The first farms were invented by the Irish sailors in 1234. Today, mussel cultivation in farms installed on the seabed has become a widespread and very profitable occupation. Cultivation period is 18 months, during which mussels can reach sizes of 4-5 cm.

Mussel shells come in many colors: blue, green, black, brown, gold.
Only black and blue mussels, which have a smoother taste, are grown in farms.
Mediterranean mussels have a meat-shell ratio of 50% compared to the others that have 35% meat.

Mussels contain large amounts of proteins, minerals, phosphorus, iron and vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C, K. Mussel meat is lean, very good for dieting. It contains the highest percentage of Omega 3, 3-4 mg per 100 g.
Their meat is considered a delicacy that can be eaten raw, steamed or fried. It is obligatory to eat them while they’re fresh, their harvest season is in August.

Before preparation, mussels should be washed under running water. Boil them in a little water on high heat for several minutes, until shells open. Those that do not open are not good for consumption.
Serve with spicy sauces, in soups, with rice, pasta, marinated, smoked.
They are found on the coasts of the British Isles, France, Spain, Norway.
In Europe, about 250,000 tons are produced.