Dolma

{{Infobox food

| name = Dolma

| image = 250px

| caption = Whole stuffed pepper and tomato dolma

| region = Eastern Mediterranean, Balkans,{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9buoQolfPD8C&dq=balkans+dolma&pg=PA101 | title=Balkan Blues: Writing Out of Yugoslavia | isbn=9780810113251 | last1=Labon | first1=Joanna | year=1995 |publisher=Northwestern University Press}} Levant, Anatolia or Turkey, South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia), Iraq, Greece, Cyprus, Iran, Central Asia, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Egypt, Libya.

| course = Appetizer or main dish

| served = Hot or room temperature

| main_ingredient = Varies

| variations = vegetables, seafood, fruit, offal

}}

{{Infobox intangible heritage

| ICH = Dolma making and sharing tradition, a marker of cultural identity

| State Party = Azerbaijan

| ID = 01188

| Year = 2017

| Region = ENA

| Session = 12th

| List = Representative

}}

Dolma (Turkish for "stuffed") is a family of stuffed dishes associated with Ottoman cuisine, typically made with a filling of rice, minced meat, offal, seafood, fruit, or any combination of these inside either a leaf wrapping or a hollow or hollowed-out vegetable (e.g. a bell pepper). Wrapped dolma, specifically, are known as sarma, made by rolling grape, cabbage, or other leaves around the filling. Less commonly, both fruits and meat (particularly offal) may also be stuffed with similar fillings and termed dolma. Dolma can be served warm or at room temperature and are common in modern cuisines of regions and nations that once were part of the Ottoman Empire.{{cite book |last=Davidson |first=Alan |title=The Oxford Companion to Food |page=258}}

History

Stuffed vegetable dishes have been a part of West Asian Cuisine{{cite book |last1=Paul David Buell, Eugene N. Anderson, Montserrat de Pablo Moya, Moldir Oskenbay |title=Crossroads of Cuisine: The Eurasian Heartland, the Silk Roads and Food |date=November 4, 2020 |publisher=Brill |page=251}} for centuries.{{Cite book| publisher = Tuttle Publishing| isbn = 978-1-4629-0524-9| last = Salloum| first = Habeeb| title = Arabian Nights Cookbook: From Lamb Kebabs to Baba Ghanouj, Delicious Homestyle Arabian Cooking| date = 2012-02-28}}{{better source needed|date=August 2022}} Recipes for stuffed eggplant have been found in Medieval Arabic cookbooks and, in Ancient Greek cuisine, fig leaves stuffed with sweetened cheese were called {{Transliteration|grc|thrion}}.{{Cite book|publisher = Oxford University Press|isbn = 978-0-19-967733-7|last = Perry|first = Charles Perry|title = The Oxford Companion to Food|chapter = Dolma|access-date = 2018-06-29|date = 2014-11-20|chapter-url = http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199677337.001.0001/acref-9780199677337-e-0793|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180630140424/http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199677337.001.0001/acref-9780199677337-e-0793|archive-date = 2018-06-30}} The word dolma, of Turkish origin, means "something stuffed" or "filled".{{Cite book|publisher = Oxford University Press|isbn = 978-0-19-964024-9|last = Ayto|first = John|title = The Diner's Dictionary|chapter = Dolmades|access-date = 2018-06-29|date = 2013|chapter-url = http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199640249.001.0001/acref-9780199640249-e-421|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180630140424/http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199640249.001.0001/acref-9780199640249-e-421|archive-date = 2018-06-30}}{{cite web |title=Dolma |website=Merriam Webster |date=25 July 2024 |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dolma}} (A Turkish share taxi is called a dolmuş for similar reasons). In some of the former Ottoman countries, native names have been retained or have blended with Turkish language terms, for example, in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf and Damascus, stuffed leaves are called mahshi yabraq or mahshi brag, a combination of the Turkish word for leaf (yaprak) and the Arabic term for stuffed (mahshi).{{cite book |last=Davidson |first=Alan |title=Oxford Companion to Food |date=1999 |page=253|publisher=OUP Oxford |isbn=9780191040726}} The origins of dolma, as suggested by The Oxford Companion to Food, likely stem from Armenian culinary traditions before becoming integrated into Turkish cuisine.{{cite book|title=The Oxford Companion to Food|pages=960|date=2014|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|author=Alan Davidson|editor=Tom Jaine}} William Pokhlebkin, a specialist on culinary history and cookbook author, contends that the dish's inception traces back to Armenian culinary heritage:{{cite book|title=Национальные кухни наших народов|language=ru|author=William Pokhlyobkin|isbn=978-5-9524-2783-9|date=1978|publisher=Центрполиграф|trans-title=The Ethnic Cuisines of our Peoples. Light and Food Industry}}

"From the 17th to the early 19th century, Armenia was divided between Turkey and Iran. During this period, Armenia's economy, its human and material resources declined, but its spiritual and material culture remained unchanged, and Armenian cuisine did not perish. On the contrary, Armenians contributed to the cuisine of the Seljuk Turks, so many truly Armenian dishes later became known in Europe through the Turks as, allegedly, Turkish cuisine (for example, dolma)."

Dolma in Western Armenian and Georgian is tolma in Eastern Armenian. Several dolma recipes were recorded in 19th-century Iran by Naser al-Din Shah Qajar's chef, including stuffed vine leaves, cabbage leaves, cucumbers, eggplants, apples, and quinces, with varied fillings prepared with ground meat, sauteed mint leaves, rice and saffron.{{Encyclopaedia Iranica|last=Ghanoonparvar|first=M. R.|author-link=M.R. Ghanoonparvar|title=DOLMA|url=https://iranicaonline.org/articles/dolma|volume=7|fascicle=5|pages=478-479}} Iraqi Jewish families have a version of dolma with sweet and sour flavors that were not found in other versions.{{Cite book| publisher = Routledge| isbn = 978-1-317-38321-5| last = Meri| first = Josef| title = The Routledge Handbook of Muslim-Jewish Relations| date = 2016-06-23 |page=486}} Dolma are part of cuisine of the Sephardic Jews as well.{{Cite book| publisher = Cengage Learning| isbn = 978-0-538-73497-4| last1 = Kittler| first1 = Pamela Goyan| last2 = Sucher| first2 = Kathryn P.| last3 = Nelms| first3 = Marcia| title = Food and Culture| date = 2011-08-22}} Jews in the Ottoman Empire used locally grown grape leaves and adopted the Turkish name of the dish.

During winter months cabbage was a staple food for peasants in Persia and the Ottoman Empire, and it spread to the Balkans as well. Jews in Eastern Europe prepared variations of stuffed cabbage rolls with kosher meat—this dish is called holishkes. As meat was expensive, rice was sometimes mixed in with the meat. Jews in Europe would sometimes substitute barley, bread or kasha (barley porridge) for the rice.{{Cite web| title = The Jews, stuffed cabbage and Simchat Torah| work = Jewish Telegraphic Agency| access-date = 2018-06-30| date = 2012-10-07| url = https://www.jta.org/2012/10/07/life-religion/the-jews-stuffed-cabbage-and-simchat-torah| url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171110063130/https://www.jta.org/2012/10/07/life-religion/the-jews-stuffed-cabbage-and-simchat-torah| archive-date = 2017-11-10}} There are similar Slavic cabbage rolls: golubtsy in Russian, holubtsi in Ukrainian, gołąbki in Polish.

In the Persian Gulf, basmati rice is preferred, and the flavor of the stuffing may be enhanced using tomatoes, onions and cumin. Cabbage rolls entered Swedish cuisine (where they are known as kåldolmar) after Charles XII, defeated by the Russians at the battle of Poltava, returned to Sweden in 1715 with his Turkish creditors and their cooks.

Distribution

Dolma dishes are found in Turkish, Balkan, Southern Caucasian, Egyptian cuisine,{{cite web |title=Egyptian Food Guide |url=https://travelfoodatlas.com/egyptian-food |website=Travel Food Atlas |access-date=March 16, 2025}} Levantine cuisine,{{cite book |last1=Blüher |first1=P. M. |title=Encyclopédie de cuisine de tous les pays |date=1901 |publisher=University of California |page=171}} Palestinian, Mesopotamian, Persian, Israeli, Maghrebi{{Cite journal |last1=Janes |first1=Lauren |last2=Bourguignon |first2=Hélène |date=2014 |title=Curiosité gastronomique et cuisine exotique dans l'entre-deux-guerres: Une histoire de goût et de dégoût |url=http://www.cairn.info/revue-vingtieme-siecle-revue-d-histoire-2014-3-page-69.htm |journal=Vingtième Siècle. Revue d'histoire |language=fr |volume=123 |issue=3 |pages=69 |doi=10.3917/vin.123.0069 |issn=0294-1759|url-access=subscription }}{{Cite journal |date=1934 |title=Aubergines à l'algérienne |journal=Le Pot-au-feu |pages=245}} and Central Asian cuisine.

In the cuisine of the Crimean Tatars, dolma refers to peppers stuffed with minced lamb or beef, rice, onion, salt, pepper. Carrots, greens, tomato paste, and spices can be added to the filling. When grape leaves are stuffed with the same filling, however, they are called sarma.{{Citation |title=Qırımtatar yemekleri: Cарма | date=6 December 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GesQNaP4ZdU |access-date=2023-07-19 |language=en}}

In 2017, dolma making in Azerbaijan was included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.[https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/dolma-making-and-sharing-tradition-a-marker-of-cultural-identity-01188 Dolma making and sharing tradition, a marker of cultural identity] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207034443/https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/dolma-making-and-sharing-tradition-a-marker-of-cultural-identity-01188|date=2017-12-07}}. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

File:Yalancı dolmas.jpg

File:Tolma armenio.jpg

Variants

There are many varieties of the zeytinyağlı (with olive oil) and sağyağlı (with clarified butter) dolmas. The zeytinyağlı dolmas are usually stuffed with rice and served cold with a garlic-yogurt sauce, but variations with meat based fillings are served warm, often with tahini or avgolemono sauce.{{Cite book| publisher = Milliken Publishing Company| isbn = 978-1-4291-2261-0| last = Kopka| first = Deborah| title = Passport Series: Middle East| date = 2011-09-01}}{{Cite book |publisher= HMH |isbn= 978-0-544-18631-6 |last= Marks |first= Gil |title= Encyclopedia of Jewish Food |date= 2010-11-17 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=gFK_yx7Ps7cC&pg=PT746 |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160810014900/https://books.google.com/books?id=gFK_yx7Ps7cC |archive-date= 2016-08-10 }}

=Stuffed vine leaves=

File:Etli yaprak sarma - yogurt.jpg

The origins of stuffed vine leaves, or sarma, are unknown. They can be made with meat or grain fillings, and served with garlic yogurt, tarbiya or sweet and sour sauces made with pomegranate syrup and sour cherries. They are known as dolmeh in Iran, dolmades in Greece, koupepia in Cyprus, yarpaq dolması in Azerbaijan,{{Cite book |last=King |first=David C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NCez3ZuV3NoC&dq=yarpaq+dolmasi+azerbaijan&pg=PA120 |title=Azerbaijan |date=2006 |publisher=Marshall Cavendish |isbn=978-0-7614-2011-8 |language=en}} and yebra in Syria.{{Cite book| publisher = Houghton Mifflin Harcourt| isbn = 978-0-544-18750-4| last = Marks| first = Gil| title = Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities Around the World| date = 2008-03-11}}{{Cite book| publisher = HMH| isbn = 978-0-544-18631-6| last = Marks| first = Gil| title = Encyclopedia of Jewish Food| date = 2010-11-17}} Egyptians call it mahshi waraq enab ({{Lang|arz|محشي ورق عنب}}),{{cite book|author=Hervé Beaumont|title=Egypte|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kbDPD_wIjqIC&pg=PA36|year=2008|publisher=Editions Marcus|language=fr|isbn=978-2-7131-0269-1|pages=36–}} this version of dolma, or mahshi as it's called in Egypt, is typically eaten during the summer season.{{cite book|author=Andrew Humphreys|title=Cairo|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eLsUAQAAIAAJ|year=1998|publisher=Lonely Planet|isbn=978-0-86442-548-5|page=156}} Stuffed vine leaves without any meat, called yalancı dolma in Turkish and Western Armenian, are served at room temperature.

=Cabbage rolls=

In several countries, cabbage rolls are stuffed with beans and tart fruits. It is wrapped with cabbage leaves, and stuffed with red beans, garbanzo beans, lentils, cracked wheat, tomato paste, onion and many spices and flavorings. Cabbage rolls are called Pasuts tolma (պասուց տոլմա) (Lenten dolma) in Armenian where they are of seven different grains – chickpea, bean, lentil, cracked wheat, pea, rice and maize.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}} Armenian cooks sometimes use rose hip syrup to flavor stuffed cabbage rolls.{{Cite book| publisher = Artisan Books| isbn = 978-1-57965-727-7| last = Duguid| first = Naomi| title = Taste of Persia: A Cook's Travels Through Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, and Kurdistan| date = 2016-09-06}} Cabbage rolls also known as kələm dolması in Azerbaijan During winter in Egypt cabbage is traditionally used to make mahshi, these cabbage rolls are called mahshi kromb ({{Lang|arz|محشي كرمب}}).

=Vegetables=

Mülebbes dolma is a historic recipe from the Ottoman era.{{Cite book| publisher = Pusula Yayıncılık| title = Virgül| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=oJIPAQAAMAAJ| date = 2007| url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180630140423/https://books.google.com/books?id=oJIPAQAAMAAJ| archive-date = 2018-06-30}} Halep dolması—named for Aleppo—is a dish of eggplants stuffed with a meat and rice filling that is flavored with spices and either sour plum flavoring syrup or lemon juice.{{Cite book| publisher = Kültür Bakanlığı| isbn = 978-975-7306-06-1| last = Vakfı| first = Türkiye Ekonomik ve Toplumsal Tarih| title = Dünden bugüne İstanbul ansiklopedisi| date = 1994}}{{Cite book| publisher = T.C. Kültür Bakanlığı| isbn = 978-975-17-2180-8| last = Erdoğdu| first = Şeref| title = Ankaram| date = 1999}} Şalgam dolma are stuffed Russian turnips.{{Cite book| publisher = Halk Kültürünü Araştırma Dairesi| title = Turkish folk culture researches| date = 1990}}{{Cite book| isbn = 978-975-470-998-8| last = Zat| first = Vefa| title = Eski İstanbul meyhaneleri| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kvuBAAAAMAAJ|date = 2002| publisher = İletişim}}

File:Sogan-dolma.jpg Soğan dolması (soğan means "onion" in Turkish), or stuffed onions, are a traditional dish in Bosnia, considered the specialty of Mostar. Ingredients include onions, minced beef, rice, oil, tomato purée, paprika, vinegar or sour cream, strained yogurt (locally known as kiselo mlijeko, literally "sour milk"), black pepper, salt and spices. After the onion's skin is removed, the larger, external, layers (leaves) of onion bulbs are used as containers, so-called "shirts" (Old Turk. "dolama(n)" for a special kind of Ottoman robe){{citation needed|date=June 2018}} for the meat stuffing. The remaining part of the onion is also used, mixed with the meat and fried on oil for a couple of minutes, to obtain the base of the stuffing. To extract the separate "shirts", the entire bulbs are cut on the top and then boiled until soft enough to be pried off, layer by layer. In order to prevent a further softening and crumbling, the bulbs should be blanched. The "shirts" are removed from the bulbs by slow and gentle finger pressure. Filled "shirts" ("dolme") are boiled slowly at low heat in broth. The level of liquid should be sufficient to cover the dolmas entirely. Sogan-dolma are usually served with dense natural yogurt.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}

Enginar dolması is stuffed whole artichoke hearts. They may be stuffed with seasoned rice{{Cite web| title = İzmir Usulü Enginar Dolması| work = Sabah| access-date = 2018-06-29| url = https://www.sabah.com.tr/sofra/tarifler/sebze-yemekleri/izmir-usulu-enginar-dolmasi}} or ground meat cooked in fresh tomato sauce with aleppo pepper.{{Cite web| title = Kıymalı enginar dolması tarifi| work = Mıllıyet Haber - Türkıye'nın Haber Sıtesı| access-date = 2018-06-29| url = http://www.milliyet.com.tr/kiymali-enginar-dolmasi-tarifi-pembenar-detay-zeytinyaglilarsebzeler-2215244/| url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180629211650/http://www.milliyet.com.tr/kiymali-enginar-dolmasi-tarifi-pembenar-detay-zeytinyaglilarsebzeler-2215244/| archive-date = 2018-06-29}} Celery root may be substituted for the artichoke.{{Cite web| title = Kereviz Dolması tarifi (Bursa) - Haber - Mutfağım| work = Kanal D| date = 31 October 2012| access-date = 2018-06-30| url = https://www.kanald.com.tr/mutfagim/haberler/kereviz-dolmasi-tarifi-bursa/38302.aspx| url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180630080734/https://www.kanald.com.tr/mutfagim/haberler/kereviz-dolmasi-tarifi-bursa/38302.aspx| archive-date = 2018-06-30}}

A regional specialty from Mardin is a mixed dolma platter. The sumac and Urfa pepper seasoned rice filling is first wrapped with onion layers, vine leaves, and cabbage. The remainder of the rice is used to fill eggplant, zucchini, and stuffing peppers. The wrapped onion dolma are added on the bottom of a deep cooking pot and the stuffed vegetables, cabbage rolls, and stuffed vine leaves are layered on top of the onion dolmas. The entire pot of dolmas are cooked in sumac flavored water.{{Cite web| title = Zeytinyağlı Sumaklı Karışık Dolma tarifi - Haber - Mutfağım| work = Kanal D| date = 5 April 2013| access-date = 2018-06-30| url = https://www.kanald.com.tr/mutfagim/haberler/zeytinyagli-sumakli-karisik-dolma-tarifi/44180.aspx| url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180630213951/https://www.kanald.com.tr/mutfagim/haberler/zeytinyagli-sumakli-karisik-dolma-tarifi/44180.aspx| archive-date = 2018-06-30}}

=Seafood=

There are also seafood variants of dolma. Stuffed mussels or Midye dolma may be filled with rice, onion, black pepper and pimento spice.

The filling for kalamar dolma (stuffed calamari) is made from Halloumi cheese, onion, fresh breadcrumbs, garlic and parsley. The whole tentacle is stuffed with the mixture and fried in a butter, olive oil and tomato sauce.{{Cite AV media| people = Migros Türkiye| title = Kalamar Dolması Tarifi| access-date = 2018-06-29| time = 60 seconds| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc7iUb0dFck}} For another variation a whole small squid may be stuffed with a bulgur and fresh herb mixture and baked in the oven.{{Cite book| publisher = Macmillan| isbn = 978-0-312-15617-6| last = Basan| first = Ghillie| title = Classic Turkish Cooking| date = 1997-04-15 |page=138}}

Uskumru dolma (stuffed mackerel) is a staple of Istanbul cuisine. The version that was traditionally prepared by Armenian cooks is particularly well-regarded. After the fish is prepared by carefully separating the skin from the meat, the meat is sauteed with onions, currants, dried apricots, almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, walnuts, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger, fresh herbs and lemon juice. The entire mixture is stuffed into the whole, intact skin. The stuffed mackerel is then either baked or preferably grilled long enough to brown the skin.{{Cite web| last = YAŞİN| first = Mehmet| title = Uskumru mu kolyoz mu?| date = 10 September 2017| access-date = 2018-06-29| url = http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/yazarlar/mehmet-yasin/uskumru-mu-kolyoz-mu-40573999| url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171101212943/http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/yazarlar/mehmet-yasin/uskumru-mu-kolyoz-mu-40573999| archive-date = 2017-11-01}}

Sardines (sardalya) may be stuffed with a filling of kashar cheese, tomato, onion, dill and parsley.{{Cite web| title = Sardalya Dolma| work = Sabah| access-date = 2018-06-30| url = https://www.sabah.com.tr/sofra/tarifler/deniz-urunleri/sardalya-dolma-20131025}} In Turkey, stuffed sardines may be served as a mezze platter at traditional taverns called meyhane.{{Cite book| publisher = Overteam Yayınları| isbn = 978-605-5058-11-1| last = Zat| first = Erdir| title = Türkiye Meyhaneler Rehberi: Türkiye Meyhaneler Rehberi| date = 2014}}

=Offal=

There are several varieties of dolma made with offal. Dalak dolması, widely considered a delicacy of Armenian origin, is spleen stuffed with rice that has been seasoned with allspice, salt, pepper, mint, parsley and onion. It may be served an accompaniment with anise-flavored liquor like arak, rakı, ouzo or oghi.{{Cite book| publisher = Overteam Yayınları| isbn = 978-605-5058-00-5| last1 = Kesmez| first1 = Melisa| last2 = Aydın| first2 = Mehmet Said| title = Rakı Cep Ansiklopedisi: Rakı Cep Ansiklopedisi| date = September 2013| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=tvBUDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA26| url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180630140423/https://books.google.com/books?id=tvBUDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA26| archive-date = 2018-06-30}}{{Cite book| publisher = Overteam Yayınları| isbn = 978-605-5058-11-1| last = Zat| first = Erdir| title = Türkiye Meyhaneler Rehberi: Türkiye Meyhaneler Rehberi| date = 2014 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OElVDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA109}}

Mumbar dolma is intestine stuffed with a moist mixture of ground meat, rice, pepper, cumin and salt. The stuffed intestine is then boiled in water until it is cooked thoroughly, after which it may be sliced and fried in butter before serving.{{Cite book| publisher = Ş.T. Kaptan| last = Kaptan| first = Şükrü Tekin| title = Denizli'nin halk kültürü ürünleri: bölgesel folklor karakterleri| date = 1988}}

=Fruit-based dolmas=

There are some fruit-based dolmas as well like şekerli ayva dolması (stuffed quinces with a rice and currant filling, flavored with coriander, cinnamon and sugar){{Cite book| publisher = Kitabevi| last = Üçer| first = Müjgân| title = Anamın aşı tandırın başı: Sivas mutfağ̮ı : il merkezi ve ilçe yemekleri : gelenek, görenek, inançlar ve sözlü kültür| date = 2006}} and pekmezli ayva dolması (meat and bulgur stuffed quince flavored with a traditional Turkish syrup, similar to molasses, called pekmez).{{Cite book| publisher = Birlik Matbaacılık| isbn = 978-975-95216-5-3| last1 = Toygar| first1 = Kâmil| last2 = Toygar| first2 = Nimet Berkok| title = Ankara'da bağcılık ve bağ kültürü| date = 2005}} Pekmez is also an ingredient in the meat-based variants of elma dolması (stuffed apples) and sarı erık dolması (stuffed yellow plums).{{Cite book| title = Taste: Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery| isbn = 9780907325390| access-date = 2018-06-29| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Lp-YVQ_S82QC| last1 = Jaine| first1 = Tom| year = 1988| publisher = Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery}} Iranian Azerbaijanis and Persian Jews may serve stuffed quince, called dolma bay, as a Sabbath meal or during Sukkot.{{Cite book| publisher = Simon and Schuster| isbn = 978-0-684-83559-4| last = Marks| first = Gil| title = The: World of Jewish Cooking| date = 1999-09-02}}

One filling for stuffed apples is made from a high-quality cubed lamb shoulder called kuşbaşı, ground lamb, and rice. First black grapes are boiled together with sumac—the resulting sumac flavored grape juice is drained and reserved. The kuşbaşı lamb is cooked in this sumac flavored grape juice. The apples are stuffed with a mixture of ground lamb combined with rice, salt, pepper and layered in a pot on top of the cooked chunks of kuşbaşı. The apples are cooked in the remaining sumac flavored grape juice. Dried apricots and blanched almonds are added to the pot near the end of the cooking process.{{Cite web| title = Terkib-i Tuffahiyye (Elma Dolması)| work = Sabah| access-date = 2018-06-30| url = https://www.sabah.com.tr/sofra/tarifler/et-yemekleri/terkibi-tuffahiyye-elma-dolmasi| url-status = live| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180630140423/https://www.sabah.com.tr/sofra/tarifler/et-yemekleri/terkibi-tuffahiyye-elma-dolmasi| archive-date = 2018-06-30}} A meatless variant of the filling is made from a sauteed mixture of diced apples, diced pears, walnuts, hazelnut, currants, cinnamon, cloves, and star anise. The hollowed out apples are stuffed with the mixture and baked in the oven. This version may be garnished with powdered sugar.{{Cite web | title = İçi Dolu Fıçıcık: Elma Dolması | work = Migros | access-date = 2018-06-30 | url = https://migrostv.migros.com.tr/neler-oluyor/yemek/elma-dolmasi/ | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180630140423/https://migrostv.migros.com.tr/neler-oluyor/yemek/elma-dolmasi/ | archive-date = 2018-06-30 }}

Stuffed melons were part of the Ottoman palace cuisine. The recipe survives in modern Yemenite and Armenian cooking.{{cite book |last=Lovegren |first=Sylvia |title=Melon: A Global History |date=15 April 2016 |publisher=Reaktion Books |isbn=9781780236186 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0ZmRDQAAQBAJ&dq=dolma+ottoman+cuisine&pg=PT59}}

Religious celebrations and customs

It is customary for Jewish families to eat stuffed cabbage on Simchat Torah.

Assyrians prepare meatless dolmas for Lent.{{cite book|last=Albala|first=Ken|title=Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2011|isbn=9781449618117|page=255|quote=}} When traditional ingredients are not available, the Armenian Christian community in West Bengal, India celebrates Christmas with potoler dorma, a local variation from Anglo-Indian cuisine.{{Cite news|title = It's Christmas in January for Armenians - Times of India|work = The Times of India| date=7 January 2017 |access-date = 2018-08-13|url = https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/its-christmas-in-jan-for-armenians/articleshow/56381242.cms}} Stuffed vegetables called gemista or tsounidis are also common in Greek cuisine.

Muslim families often serve dolma as part of the iftar meal during Ramadan and during the Eid al-Fitr celebrations that mark the end of the holy month. Large pots of dolma are prepared during the Novruz festival.{{Cite book| publisher = ABC-CLIO| isbn = 978-0-313-37626-9| last = Albala| first = Ken| title = Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia| date = 2011}}

{{Gallery

| title = Different local versions.

| File: MosulDolma.jpg

| Iraqi grape leaf dolma and cabbage rolls.

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| File: Ramadan Food 3.jpg

| Levantine Grape leaves.

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| File: Shami Food in Ramadan1.jpg

| Levantine version.

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| File: Shami Food in Ramadan2.jpg