Traditional Romanian Cabbage Rolls (Sarmale) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is Sarmale Turkish or Romanian? ›

This original Turkish dish slowly became integrated into Romania's culture after the Romanian principalities became vassals of the Ottoman Empire. Sarmale are a central part of Romanian cuisine and are the national dish of Romania.

Traditional Romanian Cabbage Rolls (Sarmale) are always part of our Christmas dinner! Sour cabbage (Sauerkraut) leaves stuffed with a mix of pork/beef/veal ground meat, slow cooked in tomato sauce with some smoked bacon and fresh thyme.

Romanian Sarmale, the stuffed cabbage rolls, is a beloved dish that represents the rich culinary heritage of Romania. Whether enjoyed during the holidays or as a comforting meal year-round, Sarmale is a true taste of Romanian tradition.

Recipes vary depending on region; northern Poles prefer a savory sauce, while Galicia, Hungary and Ukraine favor sweet-and-sour, for example.

Sarmale (Romanian Cabbage Rolls) is widely considered to be Romania's national dish. Sarmale is one of the most popular recipes with each region having its own subtly tweaked version with different meat, vegetables and local herbs.

Sarmale is one of the most consumed dishes in Romania. It consists of cabbage stuffed with meat or vegetables and rolled into a cabbage wrap.

Romania. The traditional Romanian breakfast is milk, tea or coffee alongside (toasted) bread with butter or margarine and on top of it, honey or fruit jams or preserves. Sometimes the buttered bread is served savory instead of sweet, in which case the Romanians add cured meats, salami, or cheese.

Pork is the main meat used in Romanian cuisine, but also beef is consumed and a good lamb or fish dish is never to be refused.

Initially, cabbage rolls were created by the Turkish, who claim to be the original cookers of the dish. But as they conquered more and more territory, the recipe was spread and adapted by tens of other countries.

What is the most beautiful thing about Romania? ›

Due to its varied landscape, Romania is the most biogeographically diverse country in the European Union. With snow-capped mountains, green hills covered in forests and vineyards, sandy Black Sea beaches and Europe's largest and best preserved delta, Romania has something for everyone.

On January 6th, single women all over Romania put a couple leaves of basil under their pillow and they dream about their prince charming. Tradition says that putting basil under your pillow on this day will help you meet the love of your life! January 6th is the Day of the Epiphany, also called Boboteaza or Teofania.

Although the direct heritage of cabbage rolls cannot be certain, it's lineage can be traced back to Jewish cooking some 2,000 years ago. Recipes vary among Jewish communities depending on region; Romanians and northern Poles prefer a savory sauce, while Jews from Galicia and Ukraine favor sweet-and-sour.

If your cooked cabbage is tough, it's likely because the cabbage is not cooked through yet. Continue to cook the rolls until they're tender. It's also important to make sure you let the rolls rest after they're finished baking.

Many countries dispute the ownership of this food, but is basically impossible to tell is it was the Turks, Greeks, Bulgarians, Hungarians, Serbians, Croatians or Romanians who invented the “sarmale”. There is historical proof that in the Ice Age people were wrapping minced meat in leafs and boiled for food.

The term sarmale, or sarma, comes from the Turkish sarmak, which literally means “roll or package.” In Romania, instead of cabbage leaves, they also use leaves of grapes, cauliflower, sorrel, or beet. In Croatia and Bosnia, cabbage rolls are made with ground meat and smoked beef.

First association on Serbian cuisine. A dish that is believed to have arrived in the Balkans along with the Turks during a five-century rule. The name derives from the Turkish vocabulary, from the word sarmak which means twist, wrap.

Romanian exhibits many elements of Turkish origin, notably in its vocabulary. Most of these are nouns, which often have undergone semantic and stylistic shifts from their Turkish etymon, and sometimes have also spawned new derivatives. Turkish derivational morphemes too have been borrowed into Romanian.

In 1878, the Treaties of San Stefano and Berlin recognized Romania's independence from the Ottoman Empire. Prince Charles became King in 1881.