The fruits of the ocean are varied and bountiful. Oysters, scallops, shrimp, clams; all of these shellfish have an innate sense of luxury when served to us, whether steamed, sauteed and tossed with pasta, or served raw on the half shell. Sometimes we wonder , but they taste too good to put down.
Among the many delicious seafood offerings available, mussels are my personal favorite for their , oceanic flavor. Their taste paired along with their tender, buttery texture makes mussels completely irresistible. .
Though there's bound to be some dirt and sand on the outside, the most glaring thing on a raw mussel is the hairy patch found at the base of the shell. Though you may want to cut corners and leave it on for the sake of ease, this should surely be taken off before prepping for the best eating experience. What is a beard on a mussel? Though they look similar to the beard on a man, a mussel's beard does more than just lend the bivalve a rugged, handsome appearance.
It's also called a byssal or byssus, stemming from the proper name for byssal threads. Also some countries in the Mediterranean colloquially refer to it as seasilk. Mussels attach themselves to rocks and other sturdy, submerged structures with the help of their beards.
Though they are not in any way poisonous or dangerous to eat, they have an unpleasantly tough, wiry texture that is not particularly appetizing. Since the threads tend to clump together, it is also easy for seaweed, sand, and other inedible ocean deb.
