The Turkish street food made from mussels stuffed with spiced rice and herbs is midye dolma.
The name combines midye, meaning “mussel,” with dolma, a Turkish term for food that has been stuffed. Vendors prepare the mussels with seasoned rice, oil, salt, and regional spices such as black pepper, red pepper, and currants. The shells are closed and cooked before being served with a squeeze of lemon.
Midye dolma is especially associated with coastal Turkish cities, including Istanbul, where it is sold from street carts and enjoyed as a quick snack. The mussel commonly used is Mytilus galloprovincialis. Although it is strongly identified with Turkish street food today, the dish has historical links to Armenian cooks in the Ottoman Empire and later became closely associated with migrants from Mardin.
A common mix-up is to confuse midye dolma with other dolma dishes, which may use grape leaves, peppers, or vegetables. Unlike those versions, midye dolma uses the mussel shell itself as the container.