China News Network Jiangmen, April 4 Topic: The "past life" and "present life" of mussels: the choice of the mind of diners who understand taste
Written by Li Xiaochun Guo Jun
"This batch of wild mussels is of good quality, full in size and bright in color, 160 yuan per kilogram (RMB, the same below). Small mussels are cheaper, 50 yuan, 70 yuan, 90 yuan per kilogram. Recently, the owner of a seafood stall in Fucheng Market, Taicheng Street, Taishan City, Guangdong Province, was busy attracting regular customers. For the locals, mussels are common but heavy.
The shell of the local mussel in Taishan has a very obvious touch of green Photo by Li Xiaochun
For the uninitiated, mussels can easily be mistaken for a vegetable, but it refers to mussels that grow in the sea, and now some of China's coastal provinces have been farmed on a large scale.
Taishan Guanghai Fisherman's Wharf Seafood Market has peeled clean mussels for sale Photo by Li Xiaochun
In Guangdong, mussels specifically refers to the mussel jerky sold in the vegetable market, and the price is more close to the people than oysters, and it is a versatile seafood ingredient often used in soups and porridge. If this mussel is regarded as "this life", then its "past life" is called green mouth.
The freshly peeled mussels are bright in color and rounded by Li Xiaochun
The seventh season of Guangdong Satellite TV's "The Taste of Lao Guang" gave a complete description of the production process of mussels: (washed mussels, poured into a pot and cooked with water) After cooking, the mussels lose their toughness, and after taking them out, under the action of sunlight and sea breeze, the moisture quickly disappears and transforms into mussels in the old mouth. The various vitamins, amino acids and high protein content in the shellfish meat have been retained, and what is even rarer is that the umami taste is better.
A seafood stall in Fucheng Market, Taicheng Street, sorting and processing freshly arrived mussels Photo by Li Xiaochun
Mussels "in this life" are unknown, in Taishan and even in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area restaurants, most of them appear in the form of supporting roles, such as soybean mussels, cold melon, pork bone soup, dried shrimp mussels pot and melon, although inconspicuous, but can play a role in enhancing taste and freshness.
Grilled mussel with garlic is the signature feature of some supper stalls in Taishan, photo by Li Xiaochun
On the contrary, its "past life" is slightly "high-profile", and it often appears in restaurants or seafood markets that operate seafood. "Mussymouth, you don't need to pursue a big size, you can pick up something that feels like a pendant, and it's quite fat. It is sold for 20 yuan per kilogram on weekdays, and today it is sold at a special price of 16 yuan, so if you want to eat, you can quickly pick some. "On April 4, the lady of a seafood stall at Fisherman's Wharf in Guanghai Town, Taishan, introduced.
Using mussels to boil dried vegetable soup can enhance the taste and freshness Photo by Li Xiaochun
"As soon as I encounter a special price for mussels in the market, my sister will buy a big bag back. After searing, breaking the shell, taking the meat, removing the foot silk, stir-fry with shredded chili pepper and parsley, which is particularly refreshing. Ms. Zhao, a food lover in Taishan, said that she could easily achieve "green mouth freedom" in her home recently.
"To be honest, when I travel abroad, I want to taste the local authentic food. I found that there are some supper stalls in Taishan, and the stall owners are very clever, they follow the practice of roasting oysters, and put the mussels with a single shell on a charcoal fire for diners to taste, and eat them especially sweetly while they are hot. On April 4, Mr. Ng, a Hong Kong diner, said that Taishan is full of "overseas Chinese" and "sea" flavors, which makes people linger.
At Taishan Guanghai Fisherman's Wharf, mussels are placed conspicuously to attract customers Photo by Li Xiaochun
As the saying goes, "Rely on the mountains to eat the mountains, rely on the sea to eat the sea". Seafood mussels, like eggs in the sea, can be supplemented by the main and varied, scattered on the table of Lao Guang. Fresh scallops and mussels, can be seared or fried, sweet and fluffy in the mouth. For mussels, whether it is "this life" or "past life", it can attract a large number of diners who know how to appreciate it in coastal cities such as Taishan.
Nowadays, Qingkou has become one of the digging objects for tourists to experience "catching the sea" at the beach. Digging and mining green mouths has gradually realized the transformation from coastal residents to the sea to "seek life" to tourists to the beach to "seek fun". (End)