Q&A for How to Eat Mussels

The beard, which should be pulled off before cooking and, of course, the shell.

No, that's part of it.

Only if they close when you tap them. If they don't close, that means that they are dead. Eating a dead mussel can make you very sick.

Ocean mussels taste a little like saltwater with a mild taste. They are typically served with garlic butter or marinara sauce, so you would taste that too. Freshwater mussels have a more pungent, bitter taste.

It's hard to tell once they're cooked; the easiest way to tell is before cooking. They be tightly closed before you cook them. If they're open, give them a tap; if they close up, they're good. For more information, check out How to Buy and Clean Mussels .