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History - Etymology
The first recorded reference to the dolma belongs to Hera and it is situated on the west pediment of the Parthenon, where the Greek goddess is depicted secretly snacking dolmadakia from the cooking pot looking behind her back with a guilty look so that nobody sees her. For the ancient Greeks, “Thria” were dolmadakia made with tender fig tree leaves. Later, the Turks named them dolmadakia, giaprakia or gialantzi. During the Enlightment times, dolma is used as means of education. Adamantios Korais shared dolmadakia to the occupied Greeks, where he hid rolls of paper with translated excerpts from works of leading thinkers from Europe, giving them courage and hope. It ges without saying that dolma were deemed illegal, something that changed after the liberation of Greece, where dolma takes back its rightful place. The first moves the Regency were to legalise dolma. Rumors had that Otto consumed more than 100 dolma daily.
Dolmadakia, Giaprakia, Sarmadakia or Koupeti
Traditional Greek delicacy or “meze”. It has two distinctive variations, stuffed vine leaves or cabbage leaves (cabbage dolma). The most well-known variation is the “gialantzi” (without minced meat). Dolma can be cooked with olive oil and without minced meat, a dish called “yalanci” which means “liar” or “fake” due to the fact that it is a fake dish without meat. Gialantzi dolma is dish cooked with oil and it is a good choice for religious fasting periods, as a nutritious alternative as an appetizer or main dish, delicious and very healthy as it does not have many calories, fats and salt. They are served hot or cold and they are particularly populra with yogurt. They originate from Asia Minor, hence the name yalanci. They were brought to Greece by the refugees. Today they are famous throughout the world.
Blossoms, Zucchini Blossoms, Kolokythokorfades or Zucchini Flowers
It is the zucchini flower which blossoms only once and harvested early in the morning before it closes. Its color is vibrant and unique and it is very sensitive to cold. There are many ways to be cooked throughout Greece, with rice, cheese, minced meat, omelette, fried or grilled. It is the ideal delicacy for tsipouro or beer.
Cabbage leaf dolma
According to the culinary tradition it is a gourmet dish which has a special place in our memory as mom’s dish or a simple Sunday lunch. It is one of the most favourite winter dishes, especially during Christmas and New year’s Eve. They can be kosher or not, from tender cabbage, stuffed with rice, minced meat, nuts and herbs. The extra virgin olive oil, the tender cabbage leaves and the fresh herbs in the stuffing are the secrets of its superior flavor. A dish reflecting the love for simple, traditional, Greek cuisine. They are served with egg-lemon sauce as a unique culinary experience.
Vine Leaves
May is the best month to harvest vine leaves. We ensure that the vineyard has not been sprinkled with pesticides recently. The soultanina variety provides the most delicious and tender leaves. We collect 2 to 3 leaves from each branch, preferably the third leaf measuring from the top. We choose the most light-colored and tender leaves without too many fibers, with the palm size being the ideal. We carefully harvest the leaves without damaging the branch After all these work from our experts, we have the suitable production plant that collects the fresh vine leaves and pasteurizes them in jars with brine.
