Midye dolma is a popular and common street food snack in the coastal cities of Turkey and in Armenia.

[5] Balıkhane Nazırı Ali Rıza Bey (1842–1928) also notes that in Bahariye, Kadıköy [tr] brickworks owner Şahbaz Efendi's Armenian cook was preparing stuffed mussels.

A mixture of rice, oil, salt and different spices is added to the shells along with the meat in the mussels.

Most street vendors are found in Turkey’s coastal cities including Istanbul, İzmir and Bodrum.

Istikal Caddesi, an avenue in the European side of Istanbul and Eminönü a district near the Galata Bridge.

[10] Midye Dolma carts are frequently found in those two locations along with vendors of other Turkish street food.

Street food is popular throughout the city and midye dolma vendors are specifically found near the water.

[14] Midye dolmas are typically served as a meze, a Turkish appetizer, in high end restaurants.

[16] A study from 2011 reported that approximately 50% of samples of street bought mussels from Ankara were not suitable for consumption in accordance with Turkish Food Codex due to the Salmonella sp.

The study also found out that 30% of the samples were contaminated with E. coli, 80% with B. cereus, 76.6% with S. aureus and 13.3% with Clostridium perfringens and were not suitable for consumption.