Sea Jewels: Midye Dolma

Midye dolma are mussels stuffed with spiced rice, pine nuts, currants, and herbs, then steamed until tender. The filling is seasoned with cinnamon, allspice, fresh dill, and parsley, so each one tastes sweet and savory at the same time. You eat them standing at the stall: squeeze lemon over each mussel and use the shell as a spoon. Stuffed dishes have a long history in Ottoman cooking, and midye dolma has been waterfront street food in Istanbul ever since.

What it is

• The mussels: filled with spiced rice (with black pepper, allspice, sometimes currants and pine nuts) and steamed.
• How it works: the seller opens a mussel, squeezes lemon on it and hands it to you; you use the top shell as a spoon.
• Pay at the end: you keep eating until you say stop, and pay for the number of shells.

Where to try it

• Beşiktaş and Kadıköy seller stands
• Beyoğlu, around the side streets of İstiklal
• Fish restaurants also serve them as a starter

Tips

• Choose busy sellers, where turnover is fast.
• Avoid them if you have a shellfish allergy.
• Try midye tava (fried mussels) too.

More Istanbul street food

Hungry for more? See the Istanbul guide for more dishes, or explore the food streets of Kadıköy. A guided food tour is the easiest way to taste many dishes in one afternoon.

Photos: E4024, CC BY-SA 4.0; Fenerli1978, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons