Do you need to clean mussels before eating them?

17.01.2023 16:31

For housewives who buy fish in the store, the question of whether it needs to be cleaned or not disappears by itself, because everyone knows that what is in the belly cannot be eaten.

If we are talking about seafood such as mussels, you don’t have to worry too much – most chefs are confident that the mollusks are edible whole.

However, some chefs are in no hurry to agree with this opinion and suggest removing some parts of the mussels.

We are talking about the strange threads that stick out of the mussels. These are nothing more than byssus threads, which the mollusk needs to attach itself to the surface underwater.

It is worth getting rid of them not because they are inedible, but because they are quite hard and can get stuck in your teeth, which, you must admit, looks unaesthetic.

Mussels
Photo: © Belnovosti

A contradiction also arises regarding the "butt", which is usually green or black in color and is actually the stomach of the mussel.

However, since the mollusk feeds on microelements contained in the water, you will not find anything unpleasant here. On the contrary, if you want to get rid of this part, you risk being left with nothing at all.

If we talk about which mussels should not be eaten, then these are those whose shell remains closed after boiling in water. This means that the mollusk died before the cooking process and can cause poisoning.

Elena Shimanovskaya Author: Elena Shimanovskaya Internet resource editor