Mussels is basically the name of several different edible clams which all belong to the same family and have many similar traits as a result of this. They are a popular delicacy which are served along with main courses.
Mussels come with their own unique taste and aren’t all that common. Those that have only had them a few times usually ask the question “why are some mussels” orange? Here is our detailed but brief guide on this which can help all those curious about the subject find out exactly why.
Why Are Some Mussels Orange?
There is a rather simple way to explain all this, and all readers have to do is take a look at any single animal or human. Both the males and the females from any species will usually always have their own distinct traits, features, and other tells of the sort which easily lets you identify them.
This is the case with mussels as well, and that’s exactly what the orange colour of these edible clams is for. The reason why some of them have blue meat while some of them have orange meat all comes down to the gender.
There are obviously both male mussels and female mussels. The former out of the two feature blue meat and are the ones which are more commonly found across restaurants because they tend to look more visually appealing. On the other hand, are the latter, female mussels.
These feature an orange colour as opposed to the standard blue one which lots of people might be familiar with. Lots of people wonder why the colour is orange out of concern, as many believe that there’s something wrong with it. Here’s our explanation regarding this exact concern.
Are Orange Mussels Worse?
Since the blue ones are more commonly served, there are a lot of people who believe the orange ones shouldn’t be eaten. This is an understandable concern, but that doesn’t make it a valid one. That’s because there is absolutely no detrimental difference between the two different mussels types despite the very obvious change in appearance.
The only real difference is that one type is male while the other is female, and of course the already mentioned colour change. Even if your mussels are orange there’s absolutely nothing to worry about since that isn’t any indicator of the meat being harmful.
In fact, there are many who believe that the orange mussels are much better than the blue one. While the standard blue served in most restaurants might look better to some, the orange ones tend to actually be fleshier and tastier.
While this is all subjective, a wide majority of people who have tried both the options believe the orange ones to be even better. So no, there is absolutely nothing wrong with these mussels. In fact, if the opinions of most others are anything to go by, you’ll almost certainly enjoy these ones even more.