Stuffed mallow

{{Short description|Stuffed leaves dish made from malva}} {{More citations needed|date=December 2020}} {{Infobox prepared food | name = Stuffed mallow | image = File:Dolmadakia μολόχα malva sylvestris.jpg | caption = Greek stuffed mallow with rice and herb filling | country = | region = Kurdistan, Anatolia, Balkan, Levant | course = | served = Hot | main_ingredient = | variations = | calories = | other = }}

Stuffed mallow ({{Langx|ku|Melûkîyê tije kirî or Dolma ya melûkîyê}}; {{langx|ar|خبازة محشية}}; {{langx|he|עלי חלמית ממולאים|Aley Ḥalmith Meemou'laim}}; Turkish: ''Ebegümeci sarması'')<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 April 2010 |title=Foraging for Mallow |website=Hunter Angler Gardener Cook |url=http://honest-food.net/2010/04/04/mallow-hiding-in-plain-sight/ |author-first1=Hank |author-last1=Shaw |author1-link=Hank Shaw (author)}}</ref> is a generic name for dishes made of mallow leaves, stuffed with meat (lamb) and rice, or, more rarely, rice only. Other names are mallow ''sarma'' or mallow ''dolma''. It is mostly popular in Kurdistan (Kurdish populated regions) Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Palestine and the Balkans, where it may be served with yogurt.<ref name="nytimes"/><ref name="rudaw2">{{cite news |date=6 Sep 2017 |title=Preserving Kurdish culture in America through botany |url=https://www.rudaw.net/english/world/050920171 |access-date=8 June 2025 |work=www.rudaw.net}}</ref>

==Name and etymology==

Mallow itself is called many names and the names differ between regions; in Arabic, it is sometimes known as ''khubeza'' ({{langx|ar|خبيزة}}), and so stuffed mallow can be referred to as stuffed ''khubeza''.<ref name="nytimes">{{cite news |last1=Hubbard |first1=Ben |last2=Bilal |first2=Shbair |date=7 April 2024 |title=To Battle Wartime Hunger, Gazans Turn to a Humble Leafy Green (Published 2024) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/07/world/middleeast/gaza-hunger-food-khobeza.html |access-date=8 June 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="haaretz">{{cite news |last1=Zbeedat |first1=Nagham |title=Khubeza, the Wild Plant Palestinians in Gaza Are Foraging for Amid Soaring Hunger and War |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-03-06/ty-article-magazine/.premium/khubeza-the-wild-plant-palestinians-in-gaza-are-foraging-for-amid-soaring-hunger-and-war/0000018e-13b5-d32b-ab8f-bbfd437f0000 |access-date=8 June 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Family Food Stories {{!}} ANU |url=https://www.anumuseum.org.il/events/family-kitchen/ |website=Museum of the Jewish People |access-date=8 June 2025}}</ref><ref name="ynet">{{cite news |last1=אליהו |first1=מילי |title=סופר-פוד בחצר הבית: מרק, קציצות וממולאים נפלאים מעלי חוביזה |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/laisha/article/S1Z86qmQ00 |access-date=8 June 2025 |work=Ynet |trans-title=Superfood in the backyard: soup, meatballs, and wonderful fillings made from khubiza leaves |date=17 March 2021 |language=he}}</ref>

==Geographical scope==

Stuffed mallow leaves are common across West Asia and Eastern Europe. Stuffed ''khobeza'', filled with rice, is frequently eaten in the Levant, as well as other regions such as Greece.<ref name="dw">{{cite news |last1=جمعة |first1=علاء |title=ماذا يجب أن تعرف عن نبتة الخبيزة وفوائدها المذهلة! – DW – 2021/3/1 |url=https://www.dw.com/ar/%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B0%D8%A7-%D9%8A%D8%AC%D8%A8-%D8%A3%D9%86-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%B1%D9%81-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D9%86%D8%A8%D8%AA%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%B2%D8%A9-%D9%88%D9%81%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AF%D9%87%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B0%D9%87%D9%84%D8%A9/a-56678874 |access-date=8 June 2025 |work=dw.com |date=1 Mar 2023 |language=ar}}</ref> It is especially common in the Gaza Strip due to the difficulty of access to food; it is used in dishes as an alternative to grape leaves, which would normally be stuffed and cooked.<ref name="nytimes"/><ref name="qudscouk">{{cite news |last1=حديدي |first1=صبحي |title=خبيزة غزّة وخريطة نتنياهو {{!}} صبحي حديدي |url=https://www.alquds.co.uk/%D8%AE%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%B2%D8%A9-%D8%BA%D8%B2%D9%91%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%AE%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B7%D8%A9-%D9%86%D8%AA%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%87%D9%88/ |access-date=8 June 2025 |work=القدس العربي |date=10 March 2024 |language=ar}}</ref><ref name="alaraby">{{cite news |last1=درباس |first1=ناهد |title=موسم البقوليات في فلسطين: علت وخبيزة وأشياء أخرى |url=https://www.alaraby.co.uk/%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B3%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%82%D9%88%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%81%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%B9%D9%84%D8%AA-%D9%88%D8%AE%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%B2%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%A3%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%B1%D9%89 |access-date=8 June 2025 |work=Al-Araby Al-Jadeed |date=26 Jan 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Zbeedat |first1=Nagham |title=Khubeza, the wild plant Palestinians in Gaza are foraging for amid soaring hunger and war |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-03-06/ty-article-magazine/.premium/khubeza-the-wild-plant-palestinians-in-gaza-are-foraging-for-amid-soaring-hunger-and-war/0000018e-13b5-d32b-ab8f-bbfd437f0000 |access-date=7 September 2025 |work=Haaretz.com |language=en}}</ref>

Stuffed mallow is common among Kurds and the Kurdish diaspora.<ref name="rudaw">{{cite news |date=6 Sep 2017 |title=Preserving Kurdish culture in America through botany |url=https://www.rudaw.net/english/world/050920171 |access-date=8 June 2025 |work=www.rudaw.net}}</ref><ref name="ynet"/>

The Eucalyptus restaurant offers stuffed mallow on its menu.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=60ekWVd-Xu4C&pg=PA211|title=Jerusalem: The Mini Rough Guide |first=Daniel |last=Jacobs |year=1999 |publisher=Rough Guides |isbn=978-1-85828-579-5 |page=211 |access-date=7 Sep 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/125880/israeli-chefs-think-green |title=Israeli Chefs Think Green |first=Dana |last=Kessler |date=6 March 2013 |access-date=7 Sep 2025 |work=Tablet}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Arab cuisine Category:Balkan cuisine Category:Serbian cuisine Category:Bosnia and Herzegovina cuisine Category:Stuffed vegetable dishes Category:Lebanese cuisine Category:Turkish dolmas and sarmas Category:Israeli cuisine Category:Syrian cuisine Category:Kurdish cuisine Category:Levantine cuisine Category:Palestinian cuisine