Stuffed cabbage in the history of Hungarian cuisine

Stuffed cabbage is a dish made of chopped meat and cereals, wrapped in cabbage leaves and cooked. The dish originated in Ottoman-Turkish cuisine and spread throughout Europe, especially in the Balkans and Hungary. It was popular in Hungary as early as the 18th century, but it only became truly widespread in Western Transdanubia and the Upper Hungary in the 19th century.

There are many variations of Hungarian stuffed cabbage. In some regions, the filling is cooked on its own, without juice or chopped cabbage, while in others, the meatballs are placed in a thick, stewed, tomato-based cabbage stew. The simpler, unstuffed version is closest to the Balkan original, which is typically wrapped in grape leaves.

In Hungarian cuisine, cabbage leaves were preferred over grapes, adapting to local ingredients. The first written records date back to the 17th and 18th centuries, and the recipe is also included in several old cookbooks. One of the earliest records is attributed to Miklós Kis of Misztótfalusi in 1695, and Kristóf Simai and József Csapó also mentioned it at the end of the 18th century. In the 1800s, stuffed cabbage had already become an integral part of Hungarian gastronomy, especially as a popular side dish with pork necks and festive feasts.

In the booklet of the Master of Culinary Arts we can find the following recipe from 1698:

Stuffed cabbage

Finely chop the sauerkraut, but raw beef mixed with bacon should be chopped finely with a carving knife, adding pepper, ginger, and salt; once this is done, wrap each piece in a whole cabbage leaf, first removing the top, that is, the small part of the stem, and put it in a pot with the chopped cabbage, cook it well; and when it is cooked, add a little wine, it will taste better, serve it; if you season it with pepper, it will be even better.

In Hungarian peasant cuisine, the most authentic version is prepared by those living in southeastern Hungary, while in the northwestern areas it increasingly deviates from the traditional Balkan form.

Stuffed cabbage is known by several names. In the dialects of southern Hungary it was called szárma, and in Transylvania it was formerly called dalma, both words of Turkish origin, meaning "wrapped, stuffed". The Hungarians of Moldavia and Bukovina know it as geluska or galuska, a name adopted from the Romanian language.

In the eastern Hungarian regions, it is often made without meat, filled exclusively with cereals, either on weekdays or on festive occasions. The meat version, on the other hand, is considered a festive dish everywhere, especially in winter, at Sunday lunches or at larger events, such as weddings. In many places, the traditional wedding sauerkraut sharing has replaced the meat dish.

Regional variations

The preparation of stuffed cabbage depends largely on the geographical location and local customs. In Transylvania, it is made with sauerkraut, smoked meat and often with a bunch of parsley (borsikafű). It is often served with sour cream. In the Great Plain, a tomato version is also known, and paprika is often used in the filling. In the Palóc region, beef is also mixed into the filling, and it is characterized by a more sour taste. In Transdanubia, it is also made with sweet cabbage, thickened with sour cream or sour cream mixture. In the Highlands, barley pearls (gersli) can often be used in the filling instead of rice, and it is cooked with smoked knuckles.

How did it become a festive dish?

Traditionally, stuffed cabbage was mainly made in winter, as pig slaughters were held at that time, and the meat, smoked bacon and sauerkraut needed for the dish were also abundantly available. It was a practical dish during larger family gatherings and joint work (such as pork roasting), because it was easy to prepare in large quantities and kept well. The dish crowned these occasions. Stuffed cabbage is now an indispensable part of the Christmas holiday table in many families. One reason for this is that it can be prepared in advance, and the longer it sits, the better the flavors blend together, making it a perfect choice for the multi-day holiday period. According to belief, cabbage brings luck and abundance for the new year, which further strengthened its festive role.

Gábor Soóky and the TATI restaurant version.

Vegan stuffed cabbage

Cabbage velouté

1 kg of red onion

250 g English celery

3 l Szöpkő tomato puree

1.5 kg fermented cabbage

50 g granulated sugar

3 l vegan lentil cream

20 g only

Stuffed cabbage dumplings

250 g Valoryz rice

30 g snidling

30 g parsley

450 g of zakuszka

400 g laska shell

350 g head cabbage

350 g zucchini

20 g only

5 g black pepper

200 g oat flour

For the cabbage velouté, sauté the onion and English celery, add the Szöjpkő tomato puree, salt, and start cooking on low. After half an hour, add the fermented cabbage and sugar, and continue cooking. Before it is ready, add the vegan lentil cream, and after it boils, mix it with a thermomixer until it is homogeneous, and strain it through a sieve to get a silky texture.

For the dumplings, cook the rice, sauté the mushrooms, cabbage and zucchini. After the rice has cooled, add all the ingredients. We use our pre-made zakuska. We form the mixed mass into dumplings, then roll in oatmeal flour and fry in plenty of oil. When serving, cover with pickled cabbage leaves and place in the velouté. Add lacto-fermented purple cabbage on the side, drizzle with spicy paprika oil and place micro wasabi mustard on the dumplings.

Cover photo: Fortepan / AR