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Sarmale is a savory dish which consists of a filling based on minced meat and grape

orcabbage leaves rolled around it.

Stone Age people invented, at the same time when the clay pot was invented, a number of

other new ways of preparing food, including meat. So, the first step towards diversification

dishes was to invent the pot which allows meat boiling. As it is shown in some ancient cave

paintings, people wrap their minced meat in various edible leaves. Therefore, one can say thatthe first rolls were invented by primitive people. How those rolls looked like or what kind of

meat they put in there, we cant know because we have not such information.

The history ofsarmale is very old and there is a certainly evidence that people, during

the Ice Age, improved technical knowledge in leaves in which chopped meat could be wrapped.

This means that sarmale are, at least, 15,000 years old.

` After losing the Battle of Poltava in 1709, Charles XII of Sweden fled to the city of

Bender, in Moldavia, which was controlled by the Ottoman Empire. There he spent two years in

exile, trying to convince the Ottoman Empire to help him to defeat the Russians. Charles

returned to Sweden and he was followed by some of his Ottoman creditors he had borrowed

money from to finance his wars. The Ottoman creditors lived in Stockholm between 1716 and

1732 and during this time, it is most likely that the sarmale were introduced in Sweden.

All the Greeks, Albanians, Bulgarians, Turks and, not at least, Croats think that they are

the inventors of sarmale. The title sarmale, common for Romanians and Croatians is similar

to sarmi in Bulgarian and "sarmalaki" in Greek. But it does not say anything about the identity

of those who have taken earlier this culinary delight or it has been reinvented in the Balkan

region of a particular nation. Moreover, Bulgarian sarmale are different from Croatian, almost

as different they are Moldavian and Romanian stuffed cabbages.

What the stuffed cabbages are? They are cabbage leaves stuffed with meat (beef,

lamb or pork) along with spices and rice. Sarmale are Moldavian Stuffed Cabbage Rollstraditionally served on Christmas and New Year's Eve, but also served during the whole year at

weddings, baptisms parties and other large celebrations. Pork meat is mixed with sauted

caramelized onions and rice, then it is stuffed in a cabbage or grape leaf. For flavor they are

usually greased with smoked pork fat, smoked ribs or smoked sausage.

The Moldavian Sarmale is a versatile dish and the best way of consuming is reheated the next

day. The taste is different from the enhanced flavor. It can be prepared with a tomato base, dill

base or combination. The taste is significant different but the dish is still great.

It contains the following ingredients:

1. 50-60 pieces of vine leaf,2. 500 grams of pork meat,3. 2-3 onions,4. 2-3 tablespoons of rice,5. 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil,6. 1 tablespoon of mashed sweet pepper,7. cup of sour soup house or tip teaspoon lemon salt,8. 1 tablespoon of tomato paste,9. 2-3 tomatoes,10.1 cup of sour cream,11.Salt,12.Ground black pepper,13.Bay leaves,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabbagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarmalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarmalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarmalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarmalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabbagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grape

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14.1 tablespoon of minced greens.The stuffed cabbages can be served like a separate dish or with green vegetables, cucumber

salad and tomato sauces. We can serve it also in a gravy boat along with some boiled or oven

roasted potatoes.

For me, like for others Moldavians, the stuffed cabbage is a dish of feast. In my family,

we prepare it for Easter, New Year, Christmas and for our familys events. I remember when Iwas 7 years old, it was the first time when I helped my mother to prepare some special dishes for

my anniversary. The stuffed cabbages were one of the most important of the variety of food. The

flavor and the aroma remained in my mind like a factor of feast day.