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Named after the 19th-century poet Raimundo António de Bulhão Pato, this simple Portuguese dish combines clams and a flavorful sauce that is based on olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and fresh cilantro. However, the sauce can also have white wine as one of its ingredients.
Bulhão Pato clams are typically enjoyed as an appetizer and are usually served with bread on the side.
MOST ICONIC Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato
View moreRabas or fried squid is the quintessential seafood tapa of the Cantabrian coast. Made with sliced squid strips or rings that are lightly battered or breaded before they are fried to crispy perfection, this dish is best savored when lightly seasoned with salt and with an optional drizzle of fresh lemon juice.
There are numerous variations on the dish depending on the species of squid, the type of flour, or the oil used in the preparation, as well as the preferred version of cutting the squid (strips, rings, or other shapes). The best rabas are, nevertheless, those made with fresh squid, defined by a firm consistency, thin coating, tender bite, and natural seawater flavor.
MOST ICONIC Rabas
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This classic Greek dish consists of squid rings and tentacles that are seasoned, dredged in flour, and fried until crispy and golden brown. Fried calamari is a restaurant staple, typically enjoyed as an appetizer or a meze dish. It is usually complemented by lemon wedges and garnished with freshly chopped parsley.
MOST ICONIC Kalamarakia tiganita
This classic Portuguese dish is made in the style of Lagareiro, hence the name. Lagareiro refers to a cooking style with numerous varieties, but it usually ends in dressing grilled or roasted fish and seafood with extra virgin olive oil. In this case, octopus is boiled, then cut into pieces, grilled, then brushed with olive oil.
The dish is often additionally dressed with a combination of garlic, corainder, lemon juice, and salt. It is traditionally served with small, roasted potatoes with their skin intact.
MOST ICONIC Polvo à Lagareiro
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Chtapodi sti schara (grilled octopus) is a traditional octopus dish originating from Greece. Although there are variations, the dish is usually made with a combination of octopus, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and oregano.
The octopus is washed, dried, and placed on a grill over a charcoal fire. It's brushed with a marinade consisting of oil, vinegar, and oregano. Once the octopus is tender, it's placed on a plate, thinly sliced and seasoned with olive oil, a drizzle of lemon, and oregano.
MOST ICONIC Chtapodi sti schara
Quick and easy to prepare, yet packing some serious flavor, spaghetti alle vongole is a traditional Neapolitan dish consisting of only two key ingredients: vongole clams and pasta. However, there is a heated debate considering secondary ingredients, primarily the tomatoes.
Purists adore the original dish, made without tomatoes, known as bianco version, while the others prefer a version with crushed tomatoes, or a version with a tomato sauce, known as spaghetti alle vongole con la salsa di pomodoro.
Similar issues arise regarding the addition or omission of peperoncino and pepper in the dish.
MOST ICONIC Spaghetti alle vongole
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Moules-frites is a traditional comfort food item consisting of mussels paired with Belgian fries on the side. The dish is commonly found in Belgium, the Netherlands, and northern France. The condiment of choice accompanying the dish is mayonnaise, providing an additional note of richness.
Mussels are a Belgian staple - cheap and abundant, they were originally considered a poor man's meal, and have been paired with fried potatoes for a long time at the country's famous friteries (fry shops). It is believed that the dish is originally from Belgium, because Belgians were the first to pair the mussels with fries, commonly eaten throughout the country in wintertime, when no fish was available.
MOST ICONIC Moules-frites
View morePolbo á feira (a.k.a. pulpo a la gallega) is a traditional Galician dish made by cooking octopus, potatoes, and sweet paprika powder in copper cauldrons. The cauldrons impart a unique flavor to the dish, and it is said that it is impossible to obtain that kind of flavor with any other material.
In the Sanabria region, it is traditionally served with garlic, while elsewhere, pulpo a la gallega is presented on a wooden board, drizzled with lots of olive oil and sprinkled with coarse salt. It is recommended to pair the dish with a glass of red wine on the side.
MOST ICONIC Pulpo a la gallega
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Dagnje na buzaru is a traditional dish of the Croatian coast prepared with mussels as the main ingredient. The shells are scrubbed, placed into a pot with lukewarm water, covered, and lightly heated until all of them crack open. Olive oil, garlic, parsley, and a bit of pepper are sautéed, then mixed with the mussels and maybe a few slices of lemon.
White wine is added for the final touch, and the dish is then shortly simmered. Before serving, dagnje na buzaru are often sprinkled with breadcrumbs for thickening, and the dish is then served with lots of bread on the side for mopping up the leftover juices.
MOST ICONIC Dagnje na buzaru
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Moules marinière à la crème is a variation on the famous dish called moules marinière. This variation, popular in northern France, is made with mussels, garlic, crème fraîche, parsley, white wine, butter, shallots, and aromatic herbs such as thyme and bay leaves.
The mussels are steamed in a covered pot on a combination of butter-sautéed garlic and shallots, with wine and a bit of water. Once the mussels open, the cream and chopped parsley are added to the pot, which is removed from the heat, and the dish is then served, ideally with crusty bread on the side for mopping up all the flavorful juices.
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 89 European Mollusk Dishes” list until February 14, 2025, 3,575 ratings were recorded, of which 2,613 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.