Sarma (food) facts for kids
 |
|
| Type | Dolma |
|---|---|
| Course | main course |
| Region or state | Balkans, Ottoman territories |
| Serving temperature | hot or room temperature |
| Main ingredients | cabbage leaves, rice, mince meat |
| Variations | With cabbage leaves, mince meat and rice filling (served hot) |
Sarma is a super tasty dish from places like Southeastern Europe and the old Ottoman Empire. Think of it as a delicious roll! It's made by wrapping different kinds of leaves, like cabbage or grapevine leaves, around a yummy filling. This filling usually has grains like rice, minced meat, or both. Sarma is part of a bigger family of stuffed dishes called dolma.
Contents
What Does Sarma Mean?
The word "Sarma" comes from Turkish and simply means 'wrapped'. It's a perfect name for this dish because that's exactly what you do – wrap ingredients in leaves!
In different countries, Sarma has different names. For example, in Turkish, Sarma made with grape leaves is called yaprak sarması, which means "leaf sarma." In Arabic, it's often called waraq 'inab. No matter the name, it's still that delicious rolled dish!
How Sarma is Made
Sarma is usually made by taking a leaf, like a grapevine leaf, and wrapping it around a filling. If the Sarma doesn't have meat, it's sometimes called yalancı dolma in Turkish. This means "liar's dolma" because it's missing the meat!
One special kind of Sarma is Vişneli yalancı dolması. For this, the rice inside is flavored with spices like cinnamon, allspice, and mint. Then, it's cooked slowly with morello cherries. Sometimes, even plums are added!
You can also use other vegetables to wrap the filling. For instance, some people use celery root. The celery root is stuffed with rice that's been seasoned with spices, and sometimes dried fruits like figs or apricots are added too.
Sarma Around the World
Sarma is popular in many countries, and each place has its own special way of making it!
Albania
In Albania, Sarma is often shaped like a cigar. It's usually made with cabbage or grape leaves, filled with meat, rice, and spices. People often eat it with yogurt. It's a favorite for special events or during the cold winter months.
Bulgaria
In Bulgaria, there are two main types of rolled Sarma: cabbage Sarma (eaten in winter) and vine leaf Sarma (eaten in spring and summer). But there's also a unique layered version called drob sarma. This one is made with finely chopped liver and lung, rice, onions, and herbs. It's baked and then covered with a mix of eggs and yogurt before being baked again. All Sarma dishes in Bulgaria taste great with fresh yogurt on the side.
Cyprus
In Cyprus, Sarma is called koupepia. It's made with ground beef and pork, rice, and a tomato and cinnamon sauce. All these yummy ingredients are wrapped inside a grape leaf.
Romania and Moldova
In Romania and Moldova, sarmale are very popular. They are usually made with minced pork, rice, onion, eggs, thyme, and dill, all rolled in a cabbage leaf. The dish is cooked with chopped cabbage and sauerkraut, often layered with bacon. It's usually served with mămăligă (a type of polenta) and smântână (sour cream). Sarmale is a traditional dish for Easter and Christmas meals.
Serbia
In Serbia, there's a version of stuffed cabbage rolls that doesn't have meat. This vegetarian Sarma is often eaten during Lent, a time when some people choose not to eat meat.
Turkey
In some parts of Turkey, like Amasya and Tokat, Sarma is made in a way that's similar to a dish called maklouba. This means it's often served upside down! One version from Amasya, called bakla sarma, uses dried fava beans and a special kind of wheat called yarma. These are cooked in a seasoned tomato sauce. The wrapped Sarma rolls are then layered over lamb chops and cooked slowly. A similar dish from Tokat is stuffed with lentils, bulgur, and chickpeas.
Images for kids
-
A plate of Sarma, ready to eat.
See also
In Spanish: Sarma para niños
