Green Lipped Mussels

Green mussels are sweet, tender, delicate, plump and juicy. Meat color varies from apricot (female) to cream (male). The color has no effect on flavor. Greenshells are most commonly available individually quick frozen in the whole or half shell to lock in flavor. Because they are grown on ropes suspended above the seabed, they rarely contain grit or sand. Unlike the blue mussel, the greenshell mussel’s shell is slightly open in its natural state, which New Zealanders refer to as “smiling.” The shell closes tightly when the mussel is subjected to stress, freshwater or rough handling.