A delicacy from the past: who came up with the idea of eating mussels

• Back to the past
• The benefits of mussels
• How to cook mussels correctly

A plate of mussels in sauce, French fries, a glass of wine—a typical meal somewhere on the Atlantic coast of France. In our country, mussels are more of a delicacy, although, unlike oysters, they are not too expensive. But they are very tasty, so you can find them on the menu of almost any restaurant.

How did mussels come to conquer the world? And how should they be prepared and eaten? Find all the answers in this article!

Back to the past

Perhaps dinosaurs were the first to try shellfish. This is because bivalves appeared as early as the Mesozoic era. It is impossible to verify this, but millions of years later, primitive humans definitely tasted seafood—164,000-year-old oyster shells were found in caves. And where there are oysters, there are most likely mussels.

The deliberate cultivation and consumption of mussels began much later. The French believe that the first farms were established in Normandy as early as the 8th century. The Irish, on the other hand, believe that their sailors began cultivating mussels on oak poles in the sea in the 13th century. Fishermen from Japan used large stones for this purpose.

Modern mussel farms are located all over the world. The process resembles working in a field: small mollusks are attached to a rope using a biodegradable net. The ropes are suspended on floating rafts. After a few weeks, the net dissolves, and the mussels continue to grow, feeding on natural plankton from the water. In just 9–12 months, they reach the desired size. They are then harvested, cleaned, frozen, and sent to stores.

The benefits of mussels

Just 100 grams of mussels contain more iron than a steak. They contain selenium for immunity, zinc for men's health, phosphorus, potassium, and iodine. Mussels are rich in B vitamins, especially B12, which strengthens the nervous system and improves blood formation. At the same time, they are low in calories—only 77 per 100 grams—and high in protein and beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. A serving of mussels covers half of the daily requirement of omega-3, without the extra calories.

How to cook mussels correctly

Mussels are versatile: they can be steamed, stewed with vegetables, fried with garlic, or added to pasta. They go well with cheese, lemon, tomatoes, and herbs. It is important to remember that the shells themselves contain a lot of juice, so you should not add too much liquid when cooking. Mussels take only 5–6 minutes to cook. If you overcook them, they can become tough. Open shells are a sign that they are ready, and it is better not to eat closed ones.

10 more useful facts about mussels that every seafood lover should know:

• — Fresh mussels need to be cleaned both inside and out. To do this, soak them in cool salt water for an hour. Spoiler alert: a lot of dirt will come out of them, which could end up on your plate. But you can't leave them like this for too long — they will die in stagnant water.
• — Most frozen mussels (both in and out of their shells) are already cooked before freezing. For a salad, simply thaw them; for a hot dish, just warm them up a little. If you overcook them, they will become “rubbery.”
• — Before cooking, discard any mussels with open shells — they are already dead. After cooking, discard any that have not opened. But don't do this right away — first try cooking them for another minute. Perhaps they are just being stubborn.
• — Never pour hot water over frozen mussels. To keep them tasty and tender, simply transfer them from the freezer to the refrigerator 12 hours before cooking.
• — When cooking fresh mussels, do not add water — they will release their own juice. You can add a little white wine for flavor. There is no need to salt them either — they are already salty from the sea water.
• — Frozen mussels are an inexpensive way to make fish soup rich and tasty. They go best with tomatoes. Add them at the very end, after removing the soup from the heat.
• — To remove the meat from the shell, use the empty shell from another mussel as tongs. And to avoid losing the delicious juice, serve the mussels with bread to dip in the sauce.
• — Mussels live in different types of water. The less salty the water, the smaller the mussels. For example, White Sea mussels are small and tender, while New Zealand mussels are very large and dense.
• — Mussels have fibers that look like seaweed sticking out of them. These are not edible, but special threads (“beards”) that the mussel uses to cling to rocks. Before cooking, simply pull them off sharply to remove them.
• — Almost any recipe for fresh mussels will work for frozen ones. First, prepare the sauce completely, and add the mussels at the very end: without shells — for 1–2 minutes, in shells — for 2–3 minutes.

You can try properly prepared mussels at the Lambic restaurant chain. Our menu features live mussels in Roquefort sauce, tom yum, truffle, and white wine sauce. We also offer a wide selection of other dishes, an extensive beer list, and a consistently welcoming atmosphere. We look forward to seeing you!

Date: 01 November

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