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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
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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.
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Moules à la marinière is a classic French dish that consists of mussels cooked in cider or wine-based sauces. The dish is typically made with shallots, garlic, and herbs such as parsley, thyme, and bay leaves, which are sweated in some butter before being combined with white wine or cider.
Fresh mussels are then added to the mixture and cooked until they open up. The dish is usually enhanced with freshly minced parsley, lemon juice and (optionally) mayonnaise or crème fraiche. Simple and flavorful, this mussel dish is typically enjoyed warm with slices of crusty bread and a glass of French wine on the side.
VARIATIONS OF Moules à la marinière
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Tigres (lit. tigers) is an authentic dish from Bilbao, its name derived from the fiery flavor of these stuffed mussels. In Galicia, the dish is known as mejillones rellenos. The dish is typically served as a tapa, consisting of mussels stuffed with a combination of onions and flour cooked in wine.
Tigres are then dipped in eggs, covered in breadcrumbs, and fried in hot oil. The mussels are often served with a spicy sauce based on anchovies and tomatoes. In Bilbao's tapa bars, one can often see people discarding the empty mussel shells on the floor, which seems to be standard practice and the most authentic way to consume these seafood delicacies.
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Cozze alla Tarantina is a delicious seafood appetizer consisting of delicate, meaty mussels served in a spicy tomato sauce. It is important that the mussels are as fresh as possible. The tomato sauce is typically flavored with garlic, parsley, chiles, olive oil, white wine, and pepper.
For the best experience, it is recommended to serve the dish with toasted bread or croutons, which can be used to mop up all of the flavorful juices. Pair it with Pinot Grigio, Vermentino, Chardonnay, or Riesling.
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Mydia or dagnje na crvenu buzaru is a popular Greek and Croatian appetizer consisting of fresh mussels that are steamed in red wine along with fresh herbs, garlic, and a variety of garden vegetables. The dish is usually doused in a Mediterranean red sauce.
It is served in most fish taverns (called psarotaverna) in Greece and in most coastal restaurants in Croatia, accompanied by lots of bread used for mopping up the flavorful sauce. In Croatia, the dish is also known as dagnje na crveno.
MOST ICONIC Mydia
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Midye dolma is a popular Turkish street food item consisting of mussels that are filled with an aromatic blend of rice, herbs, nuts, and spices such as raisins, pine nuts, saffron, black pepper, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, parsley, and dill. To consume midye dolma, the top shell should be gently broken, followed by a generous squeeze of lemon juice over the stuffing.
The stuffing is then typically consumed using the loose shell as a spoon.
MOST ICONIC Midye dolma
View moreGebakken mosselen is a popular Dutch dish made by frying fresh mussels with onions, garlic, and butter in a pan. They are typically seasoned with salt, pepper, and occasionally ketchup. It is recommended to serve the dish on toast, or to pair it with a potato salad.
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Moules à la crème Normande is a traditional mussel dish originating from Normandy. It's made with mussels in a creamy sauce consisting of butter, cream, onions, garlic, shallots, cider, parsley, salt, and pepper. The onions, shallots, and parsley are sautéed in butter, then mixed with the washed mussels.
The combination is covered with cider and seasoned with pepper, then cooked until the mussels open. They're then removed, and the sauce is reduced and mixed with the cream. Finally, the mussels are mixed with the sauce, and the dish is then usually served with accompaniments such as fries or bread for mopping up the 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 36 Mussel Dishes in the World” list until March 20, 2025, 1,308 ratings were recorded, of which 875 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.