Leaf Wrapping

Wrapping, one of the foundations of traditional Turkish cuisine, consists of a filling tightly surrounded by leaves or leafy vegetables. There are many variations of this dish, but the mix typically combines ingredients such as ground beef, rice or bulgur, various herbs, spices, paprika, ground sumac or tomato sauce, while the wrap is usually a variety of leafy vegetables such as vine, cabbage leaves or chard.

The first examples of dolma date back to the Minoan palace complex Knossos on the island of Crete. The modern version was not perfected until the 15th century, although the Persians and Greeks had eaten dishes consisting of stuffed grape leaves. When the Turks captured Istanbul in the 15th century, they adapted the newly found recipes and included stuffing in their cuisine. The mystery dish was originally only consumed in the palace; later on, it became a common food consumed by people at all levels of society. The dish spread as far as the Balkans, North Africa, the Middle East and even India. Some varieties of wrap are eaten in Azerbaijan, Romania, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Russia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Egypt, Sweden and the USA.