Description
The Mejillón de Galicia PDO is a fresh mussel from Mytilus galloprovincialis species.
Production Area
The breeding area of Mejillón de Galicia PDO is located in the internal sea area of Rías Gallegas in the districts of La Corogna and Pontevedra; it includes the following zones: Ría de Ares-Sada, Ría de Muros-Noia, Ría de Arousa, Ría de Pontevedra and Ría de Vigo.
Production Method
Mussel breeding is made around a floating nursery-platform, called batea, and is subdivided into different phases: achievement of the mussel seed, pre-fattening, thinning out and picking up. The batea's cords are extracted from the sea and the mussels picked up by means of a hydraulic crane. If the production area of the mussels is considered "B" zone from a microbiological point of view, the mussel must be transported to a depuration centre, where the mussels undergo a depuration process using seawater coming only from Rías Gallegas in the districts of La Corogna and Pontevedra. When the production area of mussels is considered "A" zone from a microbiological point of view, the mussels can be sold on the market directly from a distribution centre.
Appearance and Flavour
The Mejillón de Galicia PDO has a shell in calcium carbonate containing the cream-coloured, tending to orange nuances, mantel. The mantel consists of two fleshy parts, whose borders show a violet strip.
History
The Mejillón de Galicia PDO has been since distant times a source of food for the inhabitants of Galician coast. Without doubt, the history of Galicia and its coast is closely linked to mussels. These links go back to the 6th century B.C. and still exist, as demonstrated by the names of places, inhabitants, gastronomic feasts, mejillonadas etc. This historic tradition is so important that it originated a breeding system famous at an international level, called Galician system.
Gastronomy
The Mejillón de Galicia PDO must be stored in fresh rooms. At home, it must be stored in the refrigerator. It can be frozen. After being accurately washed, it can be eaten with a vapour cooking consisting of sea water and bay, which favours the opening of mussels. Its soft and succulent flesh can be combined well with other dishes like pasta, mushrooms, or roasted with chopped onions, garlic and herbs and spicy tomato.
Marketing
The product is sold as Mejillón de Galicia PDO. It is packed in standard atmosphere, vacuum or in protected atmosphere, in containers of different sizes and weights, hermetically sealed to enable a very good conservation.
Distinctive Features
The Mejillón de Galicia PDO is strictly linked to the natural breeding environment: the Rías Gallegas, and also with the historic tradition which has originated this specific type of breeding which includes machines and materials designed in the region that enable to achieve a characteristic product.
