Blue mussels vs. green-lipped mussels

[TAPrice]

I've always cooked with blue mussels. In fact, I'm not sure that I've ever seen in a store the green, New Zealand mussel.

Anyone have experience working with the New Zealand variety? Is there a big difference in taste? Texture?

Are they easy to find in certain parts of the U.S.?

Edited March 12, 2006 by TAPrice (log)

[Adam Balic]

I've had them fresh in New Zealand and frozen in various places around the planet. Fresh they are quite good, they tend to be on the large size but are sweet in flavour. Frozen, they tend to end up tough and fishy in most cases.

As for blues mussels, the Atlantic species Mytilus edulis is excellent, at it's best plump and sweet. The closely related M. galloprovincialis is also good, but can be bitter (maybe more to do with location - Med. sea and Australia then species). Horse Mussels (Modiolus modiolus) are much larger and tend to be tough but a good wrapped in bacon and grilled.

At the end of the day freshness is more important then species I think. I wouldn't choose to eat frozen mussels if they are a main ingredient. Also, location seems to make a big difference in flavour.

Edited March 12, 2006 by Adam Balic (log)

[wesza]

The "New Zealand Green Shelled Mussels" are very delicious if available fresh, but when we began developing them for export initially to Japan we had problems.

This type of Mussel keeps it shell open while alive, very different then the European, American or Asian species that always have tightly closed shells.

In fact its always assumed at most Restaurants and Fish Mongers that any open Mussel should always be discarded as they are thought to be dead or spoiled.

It seemed almost impossible to convince retailers and end users as well as importers about this characteristic so we decided to try several ways of merchandising the Mussels.

We began Nitrogen freezing of the Mussels on the 1/2 shell, removing the tops and packing them in 1 dozen in a translucent plastic tray with the bottom opaque and the top clear. In this manner they became very popular in Japan, accepted immediately by the Sushi Restaurants as a exciting new item. They still continue to be popular, retailed at most Supermarkets and Fish Mongers in Japan.

We tried this first in Honolulu where again the Sushi Restaurants led the way, followed by retailers. Many Restaurants began serving them in Cioppino Type dishes, or baked and different versions.

When we introduced them to the States it was in the 1/2 Shell Package and IQF Frozen for Institutional use, this eventually was also done in sizes suitable for re-packing at most Asian grocers. They are now also packed in all types of retail, boxed, clear bagged, or whatever the importers request.

In all their various guises if kept at recommended temperatures they are superior to almost every type of Mussels being consistent all year round. Regular Mussels vary according to seasons, water temperatures or weather while the imported Mussels are supervised, inspected for quality, color and production by the New Zealand officials.

I enjoy then when used in Seafood Curry, or simply prepared with a Scampi recipe used in place of the Shellfish it's more economical and very enhanced with the Garlic, Wine, Butter, and Leaf Parsley with some Parmesan added.

I also should mention the the "Nitrogen Freezing Process" is the same one used in about 90% of the Tuna used for Maguro, or Toro served everywhere with few exceptions. It has very little effect if any toward the fresh taste comparrisons.

Irwin

Edited March 12, 2006 by wesza (log)

[Shalmanese]

Oh wow, I guess I should be eating more of them fresh then now that I know everywhere else in the world can only get them frozen .

[wesza]

Oh wow, I guess I should be eating more of them fresh then now that I know everywhere else in the world can only get them frozen .

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Shamanese:

They are still being sold fresh to various purveyors In Asia, Japan, Europe, North America and everywhere else who request shipments of live Mussels who are willing or can afford the airfreight.

It's mostly sold frozen to the Retail, Institutional Markets who require inventory and consistant supplies.

Irwin

[Bill44]

We have available to us in Australia both varieties of mussel, the green variety imported fresh from New Zealand and our locally grown Blue, which we call black mussel.

The black is considered here to be the superior variety and the green sells for several dollars per kilogram less than the black.

[helenjp]

I think Adam has it right. I've eaten both, although only once knowingly tried frozen green-lipped mussels, and they were a bit tough. Fresh, they are milder-tasting than blue mussels. I think the frozen product could make good food if you were willing to do a little head-work. I've had excellent home-smoked mussels, for example, though the ones I've bought at delicatessens were extremely disgusting - covered in sweet, slimy ketchup!

I honestly think that NZ needs to think once, twice, thrice again about how they process and package seafood. Work-related visits to marketers and processors long ago gave me the impression that the people right at the top really didn't have a passion for seafood, and were inclined to take a "near enough is good enough" approach. I hope that's changed. I may sound supercilious, but growing up in a harbour town and then mo ving to Japan encourages a girl to enjoy her fish!

[wesza]

I think Adam has it right. I've eaten both, although only once knowingly tried frozen green-lipped mussels, and they were a bit tough. Fresh, they are milder-tasting than blue mussels. I think the frozen product could make good food if you were willing to do a little head-work. I've had excellent home-smoked mussels, for example, though the ones I've bought at delicatessens were extremely disgusting - covered in sweet, slimy ketchup!

I honestly think that NZ needs to think once, twice, thrice again about how they process and package seafood. Work-related visits to marketers and processors long ago gave me the impression that the people right at the top really didn't have a passion for seafood, and were inclined to take a "near enough is good enough" approach. I hope that's changed. I may sound supercilious, but growing up in a harbour town and then mo ving to Japan encourages a girl to enjoy her fish!

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helenjp

Fortunately thats no longer the case:

When the "Nitrogen Freezing" was started it was operated by a Japanese Company who does everything first class with cooperation of government inspectors has taken the New Zealand processing into something very different then it used to be previously.

This change over from the old to the new began when a fish called locally "Slime Head" was renamed "Orange Roughy" fillet and exported fresh or IQF Frozen worldwide with great success. The "John Dory", "Tai"(similar to Porgy), Morton Bay Bugs" (slipper lobster), Blue Cod" and even "Flounder" have followed all doing well.

Both the "Green Lip Mussels" and "Orange Roughy" were under utilized species that have help the economy prosper locally.

Irwin

[Adam Balic]

Both the "Green Lip Mussels" and "Orange Roughy" were under utilized species that have help the economy prosper locally.

Irwin

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I think thaqt it could be argued that Orange Roughy Stocks are not longer under utilized.

I'm curious about the nitrogen freezing - is this liquid nitrogen excluded oxygen or have a initial very low temperature freeze? Also, how widespread is this with the green lipped mussels? We have excellent local (Scottish) blue mussels, but occasionally green lips crop up in dishes, the last time I had them was about 6 months ago and the lack of quality was very obvious. I have enjoyed fresh green lips in NZ, so I have nothing against them.

[budrichard]

Blue, green or pink, i can guarantee that fresh mussles are far superior to frozen. Browne Trading sells a cultured blue mussel that is exquisite. Wild has more flavor but the wild mussel can be variable in freshness from different sources and if there is anything that can ruin in your dinner, it is a bad mussel. We use Browne Trading exclusively. -Dick

[rooftop1000]

The last box of frozen green mussels I bought were so big they were creepy....

BUT in general I wouldnt even consider a blue mussel over a green...I just make up the garlic white wine sauce in a large skillet, them lay them in meat side down for a few min....MMMmmm

I usually find them in large Asian markets frozen in a green box

tracey

[helenjp]

NZ Mussel Industry Council website might be able to provide more specific information.

I believe that liquid nitrogen is used, but I don't think that by any means all mussels processed in NZ use nitrogen, either in gas or liquid forms. I really think spiral freezers are still common. Could be wrong though, don't have any up to date information.

The taste of the fresh green-lipped mussels is noticeably different from blue mussels anyway. Green-lipped mussels are larger, softer and milder, blue mussels are smaller, chewier, and have a stronger "briny" taste. I would choose the blue for a steaming bowl full of mussels in wine and herbs, with big chunks of bread; but the green mussels for slowly simmered dishes such as mussels in milk or cream with saffron, and chopped green mussel meat for stuffings.

...and smoked, of course, but as I haven't had smoked blue mussels, I can't really compare them.

Green-lipped mussels are grown in very clean water - although the thing I remember most about interpreting for a documentary on them was hanging onto the cameraman's pants so he wouldn't fall out of the helicopter as he'd taken the door off to film, I do also remember the amazing depth you could see down to - you could see pretty much to the end of the ropes hanging down off the mussel-farm rafts. That may affect the flavor too - I suspect but don't know for sure that the blue mussel is less fussy about where it will grow, though it likes gentle currents of clean water too.

[wesza]

Both the "Green Lip Mussels" and "Orange Roughy" were under utilized species that have help the economy prosper locally.

Irwin

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I think thaqt it could be argued that Orange Roughy Stocks are not longer under utilized.

I'm curious about the nitrogen freezing - is this liquid nitrogen excluded oxygen or have a initial very low temperature freeze? Also, how widespread is this with the green lipped mussels? We have excellent local (Scottish) blue mussels, but occasionally green lips crop up in dishes, the last time I had them was about 6 months ago and the lack of quality was very obvious. I have enjoyed fresh green lips in NZ, so I have nothing against them.

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Adam:

About the "Stocks" is exactly why I used the word, "WERE". Even the "Green Lipped Mussels" volumes are growing faster then anticipated. The Nitrogen Freezing is supposedly the same successfully being used for freezing the Tuna for Sushi.

It's becoming more common due to the effective worldwide distribution producing enormous demands on supplies that species that seem under utilized quickly become over fished due to instantaneous high volume before fisheries management can be put into effect to stabilize production.

We are becoming reluctant to promote under utilized foods until the suppliers start to become more aware that we all have responsibilities more important then just making money quickly. Since over time they should continue to earn regularly as a renewable resource. Our popularity and expertise may wane but since our reputation still stands we will pick and choose whats better for the environment based upon what we have learned thru experience.

When I lived in Mendocino California near the so called "Lost Coast" area we gathered wild "Black Mussels" frequently at a location thats been used so long that giant mounds of shells accumulated by the Indians during Tribal gatherings are still standing. These Mussels are often even larger in size then the Green Lips.

I still have several jars of "Pearls", we accumulated while eating them after cooking with Garlic, White Wine, Pepper, Leaf Parsley and Butter. The Broth was excellent since the waters are very clean and icy cold year round. We sometimes covered them after cooking and froze the Mussels in the strained broth where they were added to various seafood stews enhancing the taste.

Irwin