MUSSEL

20th February 2024

Photo Credit: John van Schilt (Getty Images), CANVA

QUOTATION

Falstaff: There was, mine Host, an old fat woman even now with me, but she’s gone.

Simple: Pray you, sir, was ‘t not the wise woman of Brentford?

Falstaff: Ay, marry, was it, mussel-shell. What would you with her?

FALSTAFF & SIMPLE: Merry Wives of Windsor, Act 4, Scene 5

MUSSEL (Common or Blue Mussel: Mytilus edulis)

There is only one reference to Mussels in Shakespeare, another one of Falstaff’s insults.

Common Mussels are found around all the coasts of the UK and are an important food for a range of animals and birds including humans. They are bivalve filter feeders. They live in the intertidal zone, often in clumps on rocks. They attach to their substrate with a ‘beard’ which is removed before cooking.

The Marine Conservation Society, Good Fish Guide, recommends buying farmed mussels or investigating the source and fishing methods of wild collected mussels. The Marine Stewardship Council provides information on where to find sustainably sourced Mussels.

More Information

Folger Shakespeare Species: Search Shakespeare’s Works

Marine Conservation Society: Mussel

Marine Stewardship Council: Mussel

Wildlife Trusts: Common Mussel