Sarma – Winter Bundle of Joy

As with most of local dishes that involve some stuffing and rolling, it originates from the old Ottoman Empire, whose culinary influence is quite strong in the whole region. The word itself comes from Turkish language. Today sarma is deeply rooted in Croatian gastronomy, and everybody has some kind of emotional attachment to it, making it our ultimate comfort food at the turn of the year. Sarma is actually one of the strongest symbols of winter, and you could say that the end of true winter is marked by the last sarma to be warmed up and eaten.

Sarma rolls being all tucked up and ready for simmering. Image credit: Taste of Croatia

Although the preparation is not so complicated, it is quite time-consuming and requires experience, some little tricks up your sleeve. Basically, a mixture of minced meat (usually pork and/or baby beef), rice, onion, garlic, bacon and spice is rolled in sour cabbage leaves and then slowly simmered in a pot, together with shredded sauerkraut left after the rolling. In the end, the rolls get bigger and juicy, and the liquid in which they were simmering becomes the uniquely irresistible aromatic blend of sauerkraut, meat and spices. When people are in hurry, they eat sarma with nothing but bread (homemade corn bread works wonders), while normally it's served with mashed potatoes.

Sarma and mashed potatoes are inseparable. Image credit: Mlinarica FB

There are two most typical situations in Croatian life when sarma is staple and unavoidable. The first is the New Year and also the following few days. Just before the big celebration, diligent hands of our mums and grandmas make dozens of sarma rolls in giant pots and store them to be at hand in the first days of the new year. Obviously, no one feels like cooking after too much holiday cheer. And the other important thing is that the sauerkraut-based juice in which the rolls are lying is a very efficient hangover cure. After partying hard, sarma is a real life-saver. Another of its superpowers is that somehow it actually gets tastier when standing and being re-heated. Some claim that it's in the best shape after two days; some swear that it reaches its peak after three days... Never mind, as long as there's still some left, you'll be grateful and well-fed.

To enter sarma is to enter comfort and happiness. Image credit: Taste of Croatia

The second typical situation, the stuff of many anecdotes, is the old Croatian ritual of packing a pot of sarma when the family goes to a skiing holiday to a neighbouring Alpine country like Austria, Slovenia or Italy. Yes, it takes long to get rid of the smell in the car, but the family is happy to have a hearty and familiar meal secured for days. In the times before Croatia was part of the EU, it was not really allowed to bring something like sarma across the border, so there was a lot of creative smuggling involved. Although this habit has been reduced lately, a number of car boots will still contain the valuable pot, our most important skiing equipment after the skis.

Sarma to go, the biggest hit of Advent 2017/2018. Image credit: T&T FB

Without any doubt, the best sarma is the one lovingly and carefully made at home. However, if you’re out of that option, don't despair. Almost all traditional eateries in Zagreb will have it on their winter menu either regularly or on certain days. Of course, the opinions whose sarma is the winner will be divided, as it should be with something that's so dear and important to so many people. Some of the reliable places to enjoy a good sarma include Purger, Stari fijaker, Kod Šime, Mlinarica, Kod Pere, and many others... This year the biggest hit of the Advent food huts is T&T’s sarma to go, in form of a sandwich, definitely something a little bit different. Anyways, I’m sure there’s a sarma with your name on it waiting somewhere out there, so go and find it. Happy New Year, and let sarma be with you!

Header image credit: Taste of Croatia

Author: Taste of Croatia / Morana Zibar