青口螺 (qīng kǒu luó, literally ‘green mouth shell’), Perna viridis or Asian green mussels are what we usually see round here. They only occasionally turn up in supermarkets or markets, but are widely available in seafood restaurants and night market food stalls. The are available to me for delivery from a couple of places live or cooked.
They tend not to be common in tropical waters, so most here come from the cooler north-eastern waters off China. They are extensively farmed. 乳山 (rǔ shān), a city in Shandong province is famous in China for its mussels.
The locals cook them strangely to my western mind. I prefer the simple European styles - moules marinière or moules-frites.
Home made moules
Also, although it is highly atypical for me, but I do reluctantly admit to liking the Cantonese* favourite, mussels in soup with fermented black beans. However, I prefer my own take on the combination, cooking them broth-less with the black beans.
Mussels with Fermented Black Beans
The locals nearly always shuck them and grill them covered in minced garlic. Nothing wrong with that, but I don't want it every time.
Grilled Mussels with Garlic
*My least favourite type of regional Chinese cuisine.
