What is Sarma?

Sarma is a food that often occurs in Turkish cuisine and in the native food of regions that were historically part of the Ottoman Empire. It consists mainly of cabbage or leaves of grapes wrapped around the filling and cooked for hours before serving. This filling is usually produced using ground or sliced ​​meat, often pork, beef or veal, which is sometimes combined with rice or barley and other spices for taste. The liquid in which they are poisoned often involves animal fat or pork for greater taste. Sarma is similar to dolma .

Although Sarma is prominent in Turkish cooking, it can be found in different parts of Central Europe and many different nations that have been influenced by Turkish cuisine. It is usually served on holidays or special occasions such as birthday or family patrons, and is often associated with Christmas or New Year's dinner in countries such as Slovenia and Croatia. The name "Sarma" comes from the Turkish word sarmak , which means "pack". Due to the wide spread of this dish and various ingredients that are popular or native in different regions, including dietary differences in different religious beliefs, spices and ingredients used to produce this food, they may vary a bit.

The

type of sheets used to produce Sarma often depends on preference and what is available, although cabbage leaves, grapes and chard are quite common. These leaves are usually cooked for about 10 minutes to soften them, with vinegar often added to boiling water to provide the leaves with an acidic or pickled taste. The filling used to make sarma usually begins with meat, which is ground or sliced ​​gently and then mixed with sliced ​​onions, spices and rice or barley. Beef, pork and veal are quite common for the production of filling for this meal, although other meat such as goat, lambs and poultry, also used areai.

As soon as the filling is made for Sarma, a small amount is placed on the sheet and the leaf is then wrapped around the filling and closed at the ends. These are usually produced in large quantities and often includes salt and pepper and various spices including cinnamon, parsley, dill and cloves. Sarma is then placed in a large container with lightly boiling water, usually mixed with dried pork or pork grease, so that it is slowly bagged for several hours, although in some areas they are cooked in tomato sauce instead. They are then removed and served with different sides, including yoghurt, sour cream, mashed potatoes and polenta.