Mussels are all the rage now, with U.S. imports increasing nearly sixfold since 1990. The delicious taste and excellent nutritional value of these little bivalves has made the popular with both health-conscious consumers and taste-driven gourmands.

The blue mussel is the most common mussel grown in North America. Canada’s Prince Edward Isle is the leading producer, harvesting about 15,000 tons annually. Domestically, about 2,000 tons of blue mussels are harvested each year in New England.

You may notice that some mussel meat is orange and some white. The orange meat denotes a female mussel, the white a male. Regardless of color, the flavor is exactly the same.

Source
Canada, New England.

Availability
PEI mussels are available year-round, but meat yields and harvests decline following the summer spawning season.

Cooking Tips

• Steam and serve with crusty bread for a nice appetizer.
• Excellent addition to pastas and seafood stews.
• Mussels handle bold flavors extremely well, including spicy Asian sauces and garlic mixtures.