To characterize the food components of two mussels (wild hard-shelled mussel (HM) Mytilus coruscus, and cultured sea mussel (SM) Mytilus edulis) in Korea, we examined the proximate composition, fatty composition, amino acid/mineral content, texture, collagen content and chemical and taste compounds. Regarding the proximate composition, HM had lower moisture levels and higher crude protein and carbohydrate contents than SM. The amino nitrogen, volatile basic nitrogen and total amino acid contents of HM and SM were 250.6 and 227.3 mg/100 g, 11.2 and 12.0 mg/100 g, and 17,451.1 and 15,334.8 mg/100 g, respectively. The major amino acids were glutamic acid, aspartic acid, glycine, alanine, lysine and arginine. The major fatty acids of HM and SM were 14:0, 16:0, 16:1n-7, 20:5n-3, and 22:6n-3, which did not differ significantly between the two mussels. HM had a higher n-3 polyene ratio, and a lower saturate and monoene ratio than SM. Regarding the taste-active compounds, the free amino acid contents of HM and SM were 1,116.5 and 961.8 mg/100 g, respectively, and the major free amino acids were taurine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, citrulline, lysine and arginine. The primary minerals in both HM and SM were Na, Cl, K and P which did not differ significantly between the two mussels. The soluble and insolube collagen contents of HM and SM were 265.8 and 228.4 mg/100 g, and 119.5 and 121.8 mg/100 g, respectively.