The Street Food of Istanbul: Where to Find Them & Which Ones to Try
I really can't leave a city without trying out their street food. Street food, in my opinion, is usually some of the best food you can try in a different country. It's cheaper and much faster than sitting down and enjoying a meal at a restaurant. It's less intimidating if you don't speak the language because the food is usually on display and it's easier to communicate when you can point and gesture. It also isn't a full on meal so you don't feel like you're in a food coma afterwards. Lastly, it's a great grab and go option if you have a packed itinerary and you're rushing from one site to the next. I've listed the 5 most common street foods you'll find in Istanbul and I'll recommend the ones you should try!
Midye dolma | Stuffed Mussels
I’ll admit that every time we were out on the streets exploring, I would be on the lookout for a midye dolma stand. It doesn’t matter if we just finished eating or if we were on our way to a restaurant, I would always have to stop the minute we saw a person with a round pan perched in front of them. Inside the pan you’ll find shiny stuffed mussels neatly lined up with lemons scattering the edges.
Before the trip, my friend Meli gave me as much recommendations and advice as she could between the two hours that I knew I was going to Turkey and my actual flight there. One tidbit that stuck was when she said, “Don’t be afraid to eat oysters on the street!” My mind immediately went to Game of Thrones and I imagined little Aryas running around the street of Istanbul selling raw oysters.
However, I didn’t stumble across any midye dolma stands until my third night in Istanbul. When we finally spotted one I was a bit nervous to try them but I knew I had to. The guy behind the stand picks up a mussel and cracks the shell open to reveal a completely cooked very plump orange mussel stuffed with herbed rice, pine nuts, and currants. He takes a whole lemon that has a tiny slit in it and squeezes fresh lemon juice onto the mussel. You then use the other side of the shell as a spoon to scoop out the stuffed mussel and enjoy it in all its deliciousness.
I was definitely very surprised when he opened the shell to reveal the cooked mussel and herbed rice. I seriously thought it was just a raw mussel with lemon juice. I was completely blown away with how delicious they were. The guy behind the stand realized it too because he saw how hesitant I was in the beginning, but after my first I asked for a second, and a third, and a fourth, and I kept going until Harrison stopped me because we were on our way to a dinner reservation.
It’s the perfect street food because it has so much savory flavor in one light bite. I could pop one in for a quick appetizer before dinner or squeeze one more in after some late night drinking. Just have some self control and restrain yourself before you find yourself eating the whole tray!
We found midye dolma stands scattered around various streets but the most common place to find them would be near the ferries on both the European and Asian side. Oh and if the thought of eating seafood on the street still deters you from trying them, just take the ferry over to the Asian side to the fish markets in Kadiköy where you can order them at many of the fish stands and eat them at a table. This method will also help you control how much you eat because you order it by the plate instead of just asking the guy for one more, mmm maybe just one more, okay last one I swear.
Sucuk
After a full night of eating and drinking, we were and on our way back to the hotel to turn in for the night when we stumbled across a small food stand with a man grilling meat. Of course, being huge fans of street food, we had to take a look to see what it was. When we asked him what he was grilling, he pointed to the ring-shaped sausages that hung around the stand. We ordered one on leavened flat bread and he plucked some of the cooked sausages along with grilled onions and peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, and a generous helping of mayonnaise and wrapped it up for us.
We still didn't really know what it was but we took our first bite and it was absolutely amazing. The sausage was very flavorful, mixed with spices like cumin, sumac, red pepper, garlic, and salt. The vegetables helped balance out the flavors and added a clean freshness to the greasy sausages to create a perfect wrapped midnight snack.
We stumbled upon this stand on our own, but later on when we received a food guidebook from Culinary Backstreets, we actually found a raving recommendation for it. It's called Mehmet Ercik's Sucuk Sandwich Stand and he usually sets up shop along Kadırgalar Caddesi after 9pm.
Dondurma | Turkish Ice Cream
You’ve probably seen the videos of Turkish Ice Cream vendors toying with their customers, where they’re almost always about to hand you your ice cream but keep it just a bit out of your reach every time. Depending on their mood and if they’re drawing a crowd, this tease can stretch out for at least a couple minutes.
Turkish ice cream is unlike any other ice cream in terms of texture and taste. It’s really thick and has an elastic consistency to it so it tastes very chewy. At the stand, vendors have long metal rods to scoop the ice cream with and it almost looks like they’re playing with play-doh. At restaurants I’ve seen others order it for dessert and hack away at the ice cream with a fork and knife.
It’s a refreshing treat to enjoy on a hot summer day and because of its thick consistency, Turkish ice cream doesn’t even melt as fast as traditional ice cream. I recommend trying it just for the deliciously chewy consistency, but also because you get to be part of the show with the street vendors. But just a fair warning that it may take awhile before you actually get to try it!
Simit
Simit is one of the most popular street foods found in Istanbul. It seems like every corner you turn you’ll find a red simit stall or a vendor walking around balancing a tray of it on his head. Simit is a round twisted bread usually encrusted with sesame seeds. It is similar to the density of a bagel but the simit is also crunchy and very chewy. The stands only charge ₺1, so it’s an inexpensive snack to grab and go, especially if you’re following a tight itinerary.
I personally didn’t appreciate the taste of simit too much, but Harrison loved it and usually ate both of our shares for us. It was just overwhelmingly crunchy for me and it lost the essence of true breadiness that I crave.
Corn on the Cob
I’ve had a lot of corn on the cob from street vendors varying from outdoor fairs to markets in other countries. It’s a staple of street food and usually a very simple choice. In Istanbul, corn on the cob stands can be found during the summer coinciding with the growing season. They're usually situated near popular tourist spots so you won't have trouble spotting one if you're near a popular area.
When ordered, the vendor will pull one out of the boiling water and zealously douse the corn with salt. It was a little too salty for my taste and I had to pour water on it and brush the corn clean with a napkin. Even after that the texture of the corn itself was oddly hard and chewy. I’m not sure if I just had a bad batch, but this is one of the street foods I would stay away from in Istanbul. Besides I can get my fair share of corn on the cob anywhere else, it’s not specific to this city. However if you are craving corn on your Istanbul trip, you might want to ask them to ease up on the salt.