All Wrapped Up In Dolmades

 Greek mezze favourite, this seemingly simple, classic Mediterranean finger food packs a punch of flavour

- Reema Islam

Dolmades and I have known each other since I was a child. It was just introduced to me by a different name. These little steamed parcels of meat, rice and herbs wrapped either in grapevine leaves, cabbage or spinach are a familiar feature in Mediterranean cuisine. Growing up in Benghazi, Libya, whose cuisine is influenced by Arab, Mediterranean and Italian food, one of my favourite local dishes was abraak—rice, meat and herbs wrapped in vine, cabbage or spinach leaves. I would pop the whole thing in my mouth and chomp through savouring the mish-mash of tastes and textures: the chewy, pickle-like tartness of the leaf, the flavour of minced lamb or beef laced with parsley, chillies and cumin, all accompanied by the mild sweetness of the fluffy, cooked rice. About seven years later, we moved back to our hometown in Bangladesh and my mother continued making abraak, but only with spinach and cabbage leaves. I live in Crete, Greece now, and here, like in Libya, dolmades are one of the most common finger foods. There are many theories of how dolmades, eaten throughout the Mediterranean, Central Asia and parts of Europe, came to Greece. Some believe that they first appeared in Alexander’s camps during his siege of Thebes, when a sparse supply of meat prompted locals to mince the meat and roll it up with various condiments. Today, commonality notwithstanding, the time-consuming process of making this dish—there are absolutely no shortcuts—means that a good dolma maker is still revered here.