Brussels' mussels starve the wallet

The price of mussels has shot up by 30%

By Shirin Wheeler in Brussels

After weeks of waiting the Belgians can once more savour their favourite shellfish.

The Dutch mussels from Zeeland are famously fresh and plump. At Zinneke - like most restaurants that specialise in "moules" in Brussels - they serve no other variety.

Dutch mussels are famous in Belgium

After a delay in the start of the season - down to an excess of barnacles and slow growth - regulars like Mr and Mrs Pinotte arriving to sample the first offerings are not disappointed.

But a 30% rise in the price this year may prove hard for many mussel eaters to stomach.

Price threat

A bowl of steaming mussels in front of him, Mr Pinotte told me: "They are delicious, but the price is getting a little dangerous when you see that mussels now cost more than a steak."

His wife agreed: "I'm not sure what we should be paying but we're at the limit now."

Mussels may be forced off the menus of ordinary diners

They say what makes the Zeeland mussel special is its meaty flesh, a mild taste without trace of salt or sand.

But as the chef of Zinneke, Michel Immerzeel, prepares his Mussels in White Beer (recipe below) he says the price could force some to abandon mussels as an everyday dish.

"People will just have it once a year like lobster," he speculated.

Weekly auction

The season's prices are set in the Dutch town of Yerseke.

This is where the North Sea cuts into Holland's southern coast and meets the river Schelde.

It is the centre of Zeeland's mussel trade, where the blue black molluscs are farmed and fished and sold to local buyers who prepare them to sell on to the supermarkets, restaurants and traders in Belgium and beyond.

Before the weekly auction fishermen and buyers congregate, anxiously eyeing up the samples on display.

Each sample is scraped and boiled, de-shelled, weighed and measured.

Then the auction begins. The bids are high this year.

Over the next few months, from morning to night the dredgers here will be working hard to bring in the mussels to satisfy an increasingly international trade.

This is an industry worth millions of guilders.

Drop in production

But in the last three years poor harvests have meant mussel production in Yerseke has dropped by 60%.

Faced with growing demand, the men they call the mussel barons say high prices are the only way to keep the sector afloat.

The last three years have brought a lower harvest

Bram Verwijs, his father and brother run one of the seven mussel-producing and -distributing companies that dominate the trade.

"The high prices aren't good for us either. They mean that our markets will get smaller," he said.

"Production has been very low recently. There aren't enough mussels and demand is very high. It means we have to put the prices up."

But Belgium's fishmongers are not convinced.

Destined as delicacy

Jean Louis van Brabant's company, Northsea, supplies Zeeland mussels to some of the top restaurants in Brussels.

He has seen prices virtually double in the last three years.

He says the Dutch are inflating prices unreasonably and these days he would rather spend his money on a steak.

"If the Dutch want to carry on selling mussels they'll have to drop the prices. Otherwise they'll be finished. There are alternatives on the market. They can eat their own mussels themselves," he said.

For centuries mussels from Zeeland have dominated Belgium's popular cuisine. But now there is a real threat this unassuming dish will become a delicacy beyond the reach of ordinary citizens.

Mussels alle Zinneke - Mussels in Hoegaerden (Belgian white beer) sauce and Frites (chips) - for 2 people

Ingredients:

2 kg of Zeeland mussels - golden or jumbo if possible

1 onion and 1 stick of celery coarsely chopped

4 medium sized heads of chicory, sliced

1 bottle of Hoegaerden

250ml creme fraiche

parsley, salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

Sweat onions and celery in the butter, using a casserole if possible. When turning golden add the chicory and ground pepper.

Pour in the beer and allow sauce to boil for a few minutes before adding the mussels and cream.

Cover and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. During this time "les frites" can be prepared - deep fried of course! Give the casserole a good shake, bringing the mussels at the bottom up to the top and cover again for a final 2-3 minutes.

Serve steaming hot, sprinkled with parsley !

This famous dish can be all the better enjoyed if accompanied with some rich home made mayonnaise and a good dry white wine (eg Muscadet, Loire).

Bon Appetit!