Warak Enab

Warak enab is grape leaves rolled tight around rice, tomato and herbs, simmered until tender and served with a squeeze of lemon. It's a Levantine mezze staple, and one of the few dishes on the table that's genuinely rolled one leaf at a time, by hand, before it ever reaches the pot.

What it actually is

Brined or fresh grape leaves are laid flat, and a spoonful of a rice, tomato, parsley and mint mixture is placed near the stem end before the leaf is rolled into a tight cigar shape, folding the sides in first. The rolls are packed snugly into a pot, weighted down with a plate so they hold their shape, covered with water, olive oil and lemon juice, and simmered gently until the rice is fully cooked and the leaves have softened completely.

A meat version exists too, with the rice mixture built around minced lamb, but the vegetarian filling is just as traditional and often the more common everyday version at home.

How it's served

• At room temperature or slightly warm, stacked on a plate, extra lemon wedges alongside.
• As part of a meze spread, among several other cold and room-temperature dishes.
• In tight, uniform rolls; the rolling itself is a visible marker of care in how the dish was made.

Writing it on a menu

• Mention if the filling is the rice-and-herb version or the meat version; they're genuinely different orders, not variations of one dish.
• Say that it's naturally vegan in its herb-and-rice form, a strong option to flag next to meat-based meze.
• Note that it's labour-intensive to make; the hand-rolling is real work, and it's worth naming as a point of craft.
• Flag that it's meant to be eaten cold or room-temperature; it isn't served straight off the stove.