Sarma

Sarma is a noun derived from the Turkish verb sarmak, which means “wrapping” or “rolling”. Sarma is similar to its cousin dolma, and the two names are used interchangeably in many languages.

As the term refers to the manner of preparation (“wrap”), in Turkey the word sarma is also used for two sweet pastries that are similar to baklava, saray sarma and fıstık sarma, which are prepared by wrapping phyllo dough around a mixture of crushed nuts and syrup.

In Turkey, the word “sarma” is used interchangeably with dolma for stuffed vine leaves, cabbage or chard. Most of the time, the name of the vegetable used is added to describe the dish such as lahana sarma (cabbage) or yaprak sarma (grape leaves). As with dolma, sarma is combined with yoghurt when it contains minced meat (beef, meal, lamb) and is served hot. The filling of sarma in Turkey usually contains rice, herbs, onion, currants and pine nuts, herbs such as parsley and dill, and several spices including cinnamon and black pepper.

In continental parts of Croatia, sarma is identical to the Bosnian type, and includes rice and minced meat, as well as dried smoked beef. However, in Dalmatia, there is a special subtype known as arambašići (named after Turkish soldiers — harambaše) typical of the Dalmatian hinterland.

The stuffing of arambašići does not include rice, the meat is diced (rather than minced), and spices include lemon, cinnamon, cloves and muscat nuts. Unlike that of predominantly Muslim regions, sarma in Croatia is cooked in a pot with dry pork, prosciutto bone or sausages. It is traditionally served on New Year’s Eve and weddings.

In Serbia sarma is cooked the same way like in Croatia, by using sauerkraut leaves,ground meat, rice and seasonings to for rolls. Sarma rolls are slowly simmered for a long time,in large pots with lard and layers of smoked pork (smoked prosciutto, pork ribs…),seasoned with vegeta (dried vegetables), bay leaves and paprika.

Some family recipes include finishing sarma by baking it in oven which give it distinctive flavor. Sarma tastes better every time when reheated as leftover, because further heating allow cabbage rolls to soak additionally smokey tasty and fatty concoction from the pot and thus sarma becomes more savory.

Sarma is one of the staple meals for festive occasions like Christmas, New Year,Easter, birthdays, family st. patron’s day(slava) etc. Also, there are various Serbian recipes of sarma prepared in accordance to Orthodox Christian religious restrictions on using meat and animal fat during period of Lent. Lenten sarma is usually stuffed with rice, shredded carrots, onions, seasonings, occasionally walnuts or even chunks of smoked fish, and cooked in water and vegetable oil.

It is also cooked by Italians who were exiled from Dalmatia after World War II, especially those who now live in northwestern Italy.

The popular Russian version is called “голубцы” (golubtsy), and is usually made of cabbage leaves.

In German cuisine a similar dish is known as Kohlrollen, Kohlrouladen or Krautwickel.

One of the simplest ways to prepare Sarma using sour cabbage leaves:

Grinded meat needs to be salted, and mixed together with paper, an egg, salt, some onion cut into small pieces. That`s for the fill.

The fill is then rolled in leaves of sour cabbage and closed by fingers on the side.

Place pieces of smoked meat on the bottom of the bowl, then place rolls of Sarma on top of it. Pour water over it and cook it for about three hours.

Sarma (Azerbaijani: kələm dolması, Turkish: sarma, Bulgarian , Serbian and Macedonian: сармa, Hungarian: töltött káposzta, Greek: σαρμάδες, λαχανοντολμάδες, Serbian and Croatian: sarma, Romanian: sarmale, găluci, Arabic: يبرق yabraq or malfuf) is the name of a grape, cabbage or chard leaf roll common to the cuisines of Turkey and several countries that were formerly under Ottoman influence, including , Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, Hungary, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Syria, and Ukraine. It is also found in the cuisines of Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Poland and Germany.