Mussels in summer? The truth about the R-months

Whether arroz de marisco, porco de Alentejano or ameijoas de Bulhão Pato: in Portugal, as in many other coastal countries, mussels not only have their place in top gastronomy, but above all in traditional cuisine. Their diversity is enormous: with around 8,000 species, mussels are the second largest group of molluscs – from oysters (ostras) to triangular or sand mussels (conquilha), blue mussels (mexilhao) and razor clams (canivetes) to clams (ameijoas), there are numerous variations on the menu.