The Sarma Story

Before we begin the Sarma story let me explain that sarma is a Balkan dish. It is stuffed leaves or cabbage leaves with minced meat and rice. You can find the recipe at the bottom.

Once upon a good weekend in Bitola there were three people having coffee and discussing winter specialties and how to prepare them and whether they liked them or not. One said how sarma is very boring to prepare, the other said how cabbage sarma was more delicious than vine leaf sarma and the third said how he didn't like leaves at all and that eating sarma for him was a whole ritual of unpacking the sarma and removing the meat from the leaves.

Later on that day, the two of the three started the long journey back home to Skopje. They were joined by a pixie who was an expert on sarma and stuff. On their way back they discussed everything and nothing, the film festival, the killing speeches, the interesting documentary, the night before, the forthcoming week. The following day was Monday, and they started talking about work and the week and how one can't wait for Friday and the same story all over again.

Suddenly it dawned on them that as the week goes by the enthusiasm falls down. Just like the sarma joke where on Monday the kid asks his mum what's for lunch and she says " Sarma" the kid yells "JEEEEE SARMAAAA" the story repeats every day and by Friday it is "What's for lunch?" "Sarma" "not SARMA again" .

By the time the debate was over they had reached Skopje. It was a lovely autumn Sunday night. The week was ahead. They shouted JEEEE SARMAAAA and said "It was fun"

Sarma recipe:

dice an onion and fry it until glassy, add the minced meat and a small cup of rice fry until the rice becomes glassy, add the spices.

take the leaves, if vine leaves blanch them in boiling water first, take one leaf, put a spoonful of the fill and wrap it up and put it in a pot. Repeat for as many times as you need. When the pot is full put it on the stove and let it simmer for couple of hours.

Enjoy!