Mussels

Once popular as snacks that could be harvested free or purchased cheaply (and known as ‘poor man’s oysters’), mussels are still one of the most affordable shellfish available. Australian mussels are called blue mussels due to the dark blue, almost black, colour of their shell. New Zealand green mussels, while delicious in New Zealand where they’re available fresh, are par-cooked before being exported to Australia to satisfy quarantine requirements; this initial cooking means they toughen up if recooked, so they aren’t a suitable alternative to blue mussels.