Sounds Seafood Icon · Steamed in the Shell
Havelock Greenshell Mussels
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They can grow up to 24 centimetres long — nearly the length of a dinner plate — making them one of the largest mussel species anywhere in the world.
Greenshell mussels are steamed in their distinctive green-lipped shells, often with white wine, garlic and cream, and served in the shell with bread to mop up the broth. The small Marlborough Sounds town of Havelock — self-declared 'Greenshell Mussel capital of the world' — grows and serves them straight from farms just offshore.
Why it's made this way: Perna canaliculus is endemic to New Zealand and farmed mainly in the sheltered waters of the Marlborough Sounds, making Havelock the industry's practical home base rather than just a marketing claim.
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