Foodie eats bowl of mussels but is mortified after unexpected surprise inside
A food lover was in for a surprise as they found something unexpected in a plate of mussels. They were left wondering what the strange creature was.
A food enthusiast was left gobsmacked after discovering an unexpected surprise inside a mussel.
The seafood, often enjoyed alone or as part of a pasta dish, requires shelling before consumption. However, one individual found something rather unusual in their meal.
The baffled diner took to r/UKfood on Reddit to share a photo of the mussel and ask what they had found. It was clear it wasn't a mussel, but seemed like a small sea creature had somehow ended up inside the shell.
Although rare, the image captured a peculiar surprise nestled among the mussels.
The person who discovered the "little guy" inside one of the shells asked: "Who's this little guy in my mussel? I found this little guy in my bowl of mussels. What is it? Help."
The adorable sight of a crustacean in the shell has charmed members of the public, though one person managed to identify the creature. They commented: "Normally it's a pea crab, but this looks like a squat lobster."
Pea crabs are tiny, parasitic marine creatures that inhabit mussel shells. While they're seldom found within mussels, it's not unheard of.
The Discover Wildlife team shed some light on how these pea crabs manage to infiltrate the shells.
They explained: "As the mussel sucks in seawater, edible particles are filtered out by the gills and gathered in a mucous rope, before being passed down a conveyor belt of ciliary hairs. The pea crabs simply help themselves."
Pea crabs, often found in oysters, are not only safe to eat but are also considered a "gourmet treat" by shellfish fans. The Oyster Obsession website confirms that these tiny crustaceans add a saltier taste to the oyster or mussel.
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They wrote: "The pea crabs that one finds in an oyster are always the adult, soft-shelled females, as only the males acquire the brittle carapace needed to survive outside the oyster.
"Since my first encounter, I too have come to love them and always feel a little lucky when I shuck open that first oyster and discover the tiny inhabitants."
Peter Fu, a chef at the Grand Central Oyster Bar in New York City, has publicly stated that pea crabs enhance the flavour of other seafoods.
He said: "The oyster takes in enough food for both of them to be healthy. And the crab doesn't diminish the oyster's quality in any way. Really, it's a sign of a thriving ecosystem."
Chef Fu explains that restaurants often remove the crabs because customers might feel uneasy about eating them. However, he added: "If we miss one, our waiters are trained to tell the guest that it's natural, like finding a beetle in your salad greens.
"One time there was a particularly upset customer, so I went out and explained that they're harmless and also mentioned that George Washington was a great fan of pea crabs."
