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Kalamar tava is a traditional dish that's usually served as a meze. The dish consists of cleaned squid that's cut into thick rings, soaked in milk, then dipped in a batter of flour, baking soda, and salt before it's fried in hot oil. The squid rings can be flavored with herbs or pepper flakes, if desired.
Once fried, the rings are typically served with a Turkish tartar-like sauce on the side for dipping, along with a few lemon wedges.
MOST ICONIC Kalamar tava
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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
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Midye tava is a delightfully good Turkish street food that is also served as an appetizer or a snack, consisting of fried mussels on a stick. Crispy and flavorful, the mussels are first battered, then deep-fried in a big metal cauldron. Hot oil is placed in the center of the cauldron, which has quite a wide rim in order for mussels stick to be arranged on it, as well as to drain all of the excess oil.
The wide rim has another important function – it keeps the mussels warm, since the dish is usually sold by street vendors, especially in seaside neighborhoods scattered throughout Istanbul. When served, the mussels need only a dash of salt and a side of tangy tarator sauce for dipping.
MOST ICONIC Midye tava
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Grilled sardines are a simple, traditional seafood dish especially common in coastal Mediterranean areas and during summer months, when fresh sardines are plentiful. The dish is straightforward and emphasizes the natural flavors of the sardines: they are typically marinated in a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, black pepper, and salt (although a variety of spices and herbs can also be added, depending on the region) before being grilled over a charcoal fire.
The dish is usually served as an appetizer or a part of a meze, along with bread, boiled potatoes, sautéed vegetables, or salads, and is best paired with lighter, sweeter local white wines.
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Hamsi tava is a traditional Turkish dish of battered and fried fish featuring anchovies (hamsi), a staple in the Black Sea region. Fresh anchovies are cleaned, deboned, and lightly salted before being dredged in flour to create a thin, crispy coating.
They are arranged in a circular pattern in a frying pan and shallow-fried in oil until golden brown and crispy, with both sides cooked evenly. Served hot with lemon wedges, fresh greens, onion salad, or yogurt sauce, hamsi tava is known for its crispy texture and rich, slightly salty flavor.
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