Mollusc mussels in on Valentine's Day

IT COMES with a beard, is cooked in garlic and looks like the contents of a handkerchief. Yet despite its unsexy image, the humble mussel is being hailed as the new food of love.

Sales of the shellfish in Scotland now double before Valentine's Day as courting couples choose moules marinires over more traditionally romantic dishes such as lobster and asparagus.

While sales of Scottish oysters quadruple over the Valentine period because of their alleged effect as an aphrodisiac, it is only in the last two years that sales of mussels have seen a similar boost.

The rise has been attributed to increased demand from restaurants and supermarkets, as diners and shoppers seek a less expensive alternative to oysters but one which contains the key romance-inducing ingredients.

Jan Johansson, owner of the Mussel Inn in Edinburgh, says his restaurant is packed with lovers clamouring for pots of mussels around 14 February.

"We always sell a lot of mussels, but during the run-up to Valentine's we definitely see more people coming in, because seafood is seen as being such a romantic thing to have at that time of year."

Mussel farmer Douglas Wilson, of Inverlussa Shellfish in Mull, says there is a certain appeal involved in eating mussels that is lacking from many other foods.

"You're not sitting there with your back straight and a knife and fork in each hand – it's more of a fun thing. It's slightly messier, you use your hands and quite often there's a splash and a dribble."

Mussels contain a range of minerals, such as magnesium, copper, iodine, iron, selenium and zinc – which is critical to human libido and male fertility – creating the well-known aphrodisiac effect that is often attributed to oysters.

The Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group, which represents shellfish growers, expects to sell 90 tonnes of mussels next week instead of the normal 45.

Jean Michel Gauffre, head chef and owner of La Garrigue, a French restaurant in Edinburgh, says no restaurant kitchen is complete without mussels, and no romantic encounter complete without a plate of them.

"They are a very sexy thing to eat. You can dip your fingers in. From a chef's perspective there's a real versatility about mussels – you don't need a lot of cream or butter to make them tasty. And the quality of the product in Scotland now is just superb."

For many years mussels were viewed in Scotland as the poor man's oyster, languishing at the bottom of restaurant menus along with other cheaper shellfish such as cockles and clams.

Their recent resurgence is being attributed in part to the recession, which has forced shoppers to look at less expensive cuts of meat and shellfish. They are also easy to cook at home.

"They're a cheap food, but you get a lot for your money," said John Quigley, who runs the Red Onion Bistro in Glasgow and was once personal chef to rock singer Bryan Adams.

He says every time he puts moules marinires on his lunchtime specials menu, the dish sells out.

"In Belgium they're highly revered and if you go inland in central Europe you'll pay a lot of money for a plate of mussels, but traditionally we haven't had the same sort of attitude here."

In recent years there has been a shift in attitudes towards the humble mollusc, with more creative recipes now available and mussels popping up on Michelin-starred restaurant menus.

They also have a low calorie benefit for those watching their weight in the run-up to the big day of romance.

But Quigley says the mussel still has a long way to go before it can compete with its more glamorous cousin the oyster.

"The problem is, most Scots have been to the seashore, and they've seen them lying around and kicked them about.

"There's a fair lack of glamour there."