While mussels are much appreciated wherever they are found, only the Turks have been passionate enough to turn them into a standard street food. Hawked by vendors mainly around the busy Galata Bridge that spans Istanbul’s Golden Horn, the bivalves offer delectable nourishment for visitors taking in the action.
Two mussel specialties are readily available in this quarter bustling with pedestrians, hawkers, and automobiles. One is made by stuffing the nicely salty, tender mussels with a rice pilaf studded with pine nuts and raisins. Called midye dolmasi, these may be served hot or at room temperature as part of the meze course throughout the Middle East, but on these street corners they are sold chilled.
The second dish, midye tava, is piping hot: mussels deep-fried until crispy in a light and bubbly golden batter right before your eyes. They are usually dipped into an aromatic tarator sauce, a blend of walnuts, garlic, milk-soaked bread, and olive oil, brightened with lemon juice.
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