Muslims have not disappeared from the tables. But that wasn't always the case. What happened?
Once upon a time it was not at all difficult to find muslims. At least not like today. In particular a Trieste There were mussolere at the corner of every street, that is, real shacks where the mussoler, the muslin fishermen, sold them like chestnuts. Then, something changed, a disease strongly affected them and they began to disappear from the streets and tables, also because in reality their taste and texture are often not liked. And that didn't help them at all.
What are they
Muslims are gods large mollusks, of about 9 cm, dark brown color, similar to mussels. Their shape is unmistakable, that is, the two shells have an uneven hollow, with deep and hairy wrinkles, reminiscent of the hull of an old boat, from which in fact they also took the name of Noah's Ark. They live attached to the rocks, covered with algae, so much so that they are only fished by hand by diving in certain predetermined points, where they are removed with a special knife. In the past they were much more present in the kitchen and in the sea, especially in the Adriatic, from Puglia to Venetian and Friulian riviera until'Istria. Then, in the sixties, one disease caused a progressive decrease, making them one protected species in danger of extinction; for this today one is needed license to catch them, which few have, with a subsequent mandatory purification by law (which seems to make them even less tasty). The low demand on the market was also an accomplice: having a very tasty and a bit tough meat they are often not liked and therefore they are rarely requested. “Imagine a chewy and very salty mussel, these are the muslims!”. Yet, not everyone agrees: if well cooked they are a delight, others assure us. Because obviously it is a matter of taste, and in this case, perhaps, also of timing.
How they cook
Since the world began, a muslin lover tells us, they eat stews steamed. They are boiled in a pan with a little water for about 15-20 minutes, covered with a cloth so that all the sea water does not evaporate away. And then they should be eaten like this, without any seasoning, because they are perfect and already tasty, alone; at most you can add a little lemon and pepper. Alternatively, there are those who also blast them with oil, garlic, chilli and parsley, but for many it becomes too "loaded" a dish. The Lady Daniela Paliaga from Piran, in Istria, an expert in local culture and cuisine, also tells us that often in the past, to solve the problem of their consistency, muslin meatballs, said hunger killer: molluscs were cooked, minced, floured and then fried. “So they were able to eat, they were even good!” He jokes. Finally, there are those who also prepare pasta with muscles, but in reality they do not seem suitable at all. In short, perhaps in the end the best way to eat them remains as the sea made them.
Where are
As anticipated, especially in Trieste, but also in Grado, Monfalcone or Rovigno, muslims were often found, both in restaurants and mussoler, the fishermen who sold them on the street for a few lire; today they have disappeared, unfortunately they have not existed since the end of the 1960s, after the disease hit them. But perhaps all is not lost: in Istrian cuisine, as well as in that of Trieste, in fact, they have remained tied to this dish, or rather, to this memory; so even if little requested, some restaurants continue to keep them on the menu, obviously when (rarely) available, even if only for a mere nostalgic matter. One of them, for example, is the Pirat Piran of Piran, in Slovenian Istria, a point of reference for years for those who want to eat fish in the area. But if they do not exist, do not worry: it is still a beautiful city to visit, with an elliptical shape that seems designed on the sea, so you will find many other delicacies, many of Venetian origin, such as cod or sarde in saor, seen the years of dominion of the Serenissima. And then it's home to Giuseppe Tartini, the great violinist, who apparently did not like muslin at all … Well, not even him!
Muslims: endangered molluscs (photo @ Wikipedia).
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