Sarma

Sarma is a Serbian dish of pickled cabbage leaves rolled around a spiced filling of minced pork and rice, then slow-cooked. Stuffed cabbage of this kind belongs to a wide family of stuffed-leaf dishes eaten across the Balkans and in Turkey, so it is not tied to one country's kitchen, though Serbia has its own well-known version.

What it really is

Pickled cabbage leaves are softened, then each one is spread with a filling of minced pork, rice, chopped onion and paprika powder and rolled into a small, tight parcel. The rolls are packed closely into a heavy pot, usually in layers, with a little liquid added, and then braised over low heat for a long time until the rice is cooked through and the cabbage is tender. The result is soft, sour and savoury, with the filling moist from the cooking liquid.

Sarma is a main course, not a side. The cabbage wraps the filling, but the pork and rice make it a full meal. Cooks differ on how sour the cabbage should be and how much paprika goes in, so the taste varies from kitchen to kitchen.

How it's served

• Hot, straight from the pot, with the rolls in a little of their cooking liquid.
• Several rolls to a plate, with a spoon of the sauce.
• With a spoon of sour cream and bread on the side, which is a common accompaniment.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the protein: minced pork, with rice in the filling. Say "pork" clearly, since the dish is not vegetarian.
• The classic dish contains no wheat, milk, egg or nuts. Sour cream served alongside contains milk, so list it separately and flag milk.
• Say that the cabbage is pickled and that the dish is sour, so guests know what to expect.
• If you serve bread, flag wheat. Ask the kitchen whether the cooking liquid is thickened with flour, and if it is, flag wheat for the dish.