Stuffed grape leaves are a well-recognized and popular dish in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions. Iranians, Turks, Syrians, Armenians, Lebanese, Greeks, and Iraqis have been making them since about the 17th century, albeit with many variations in the name, choice of ingredients, flavor profile, and presentation.

Dolmeh (Farsi), Dolma (Turkish), Dolmades (Greek)

You are likely to see rice and herbs as the main filling for most, while others include ground meat, yellow split peas, and other ingredients. Most are rolled into a small log, while some are formed into a square shape.

In Persian cuisine, the term Dolmeh is most associated with stuffed grape leaves, though it also includes all the dishes that are “stuffed”. For example, Dolmeh can be stuffed eggplants, bell peppers, cabbage leaves, or onions, all of which are cooked in their own specific sauces.

In my humble and clearly biased opinion, what makes the Iranian version uniquely different and a notch above the rest is the addition of ground meat and yellow split peas. Ah, but it’s not just that! These tasty little morsels are then cooked in a broth with a classic Persian signature that introduces something sweet (sugar, honey, or date molasses), and something sour (vinegar, lemon, or verjuice). The Dolmeh is then finished off with the addition of saffron to the broth.

To say that making stuffed grape leaves is a labor-intensive pursuit that requires patience and some degree of skill is to state the obvious. You can easily purchase them at grocery store delis or buy them in a can (gasp)! However, given that the commercially prepared versions are often filled with only rice and herbs, and none of the familiar Persian ingredients and methods, I often find myself feeling disappointed and missing the slightly sweet and tart flavors.

Luckily, grape leaves can now be purchased in many grocery stores all tightly rolled up in a jar filled with brine. The main challenge with the purchased leaves is not only taking them out of the jar to begin with, but also dealing with the imperfections and size variations that are bound to be part of the product. So when I finally take all the leaves out of the jar, I will spend some time sorting them by size and identifying the imperfections. All the small, broken, and torn-up pieces can be paired up and used together to ensure the stuffing is securely contained.

Before grape leaves became a global phenomenon you would have to either purchase them fresh from the market or know someone with a grapevine to harvest their tender spring leaves. When using fresh leaves, you would first have to parboil them in salted water for a few minutes before stuffing them.

There is really no secret or trick that will get these leaves stuffed quickly or without a lot of labor! I have often referenced how “laboring over food is a Persian virtue”, which I try and uphold as a reminder of who I am and where I come from. While talking to my mom, I also learned that my grandmother would not only roll these leaves tightly but also individually tie them with string to ensure that they would hold their shapes! A practice that I am afraid I have not embraced, quite yet!

Dolmeh is often served as a side dish or as an appetizer with flatbread and yogurt. It is also traditional to display them on a serving platter topped with crispy fried onions and lightly sauteed barberries.