The greenness of the lips applies only to the shell. The mollusc within, while larger than your average European mussel, has no noticeable lips of any hue. Unlike the large mussels from Spain, which didn't impress me when I bought them (but that could be more the choice of the importer) the green lipped mussels are a veritaible gastronaut's delight. I remember with indigestion but pleasure the 68 individual animlns Jacquie & I consumed when we bought a nominal 2 dozen from "Mussel Boys" in Kaikoura. We wanted to make a laksa lemak but felt that all 68 would have overwhelmed the rather small chicken breast we had previously planned to marry them with! So we had about
30 on toast as a starter, with the remaining 3 doz in the soup. Without a sauvignon blanc, because we'd not planned to drink with the laksa!Life's simple pleasures. Just as well Jacquie wasn't pregnant.
-- All the best Fatty from Forges