Stuffed mallow

Stuffed mallow
Greek stuffed mallow with rice and herb filling
Region or stateKurdistan, Anatolia, Balkans, Levant
Serving temperatureHot

Stuffed mallow (Kurdish: Melûkîyê tije kirî or Dolma ya melûkîyê; Arabic: خبازة محشية; Hebrew: עלי חלמית ממולאים, romanized: Aley Ḥalmith Meemou'laim; Greek: Γεμιστή μολόχα; Turkish: Ebegümeci sarması) 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, Greece, Turkey, Palestine, where it may be served with yogurt.

Name and etymology

Mallow itself is called many names and the names differ between regions; in Arabic, it is sometimes known as khubeza (Arabic: خبيزة), and so stuffed mallow can be referred to as stuffed khubeza.

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. 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.

Stuffed mallow is common among Kurds and the Kurdish diaspora.

The Eucalyptus restaurant offers stuffed mallow on its menu.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Shaw, Hank (4 April 2010). "Foraging for Mallow". Hunter Angler Gardener Cook.
  2. 1 2 3 Hubbard, Ben; Bilal, Shbair (7 April 2024). "To Battle Wartime Hunger, Gazans Turn to a Humble Leafy Green (Published 2024)". Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  3. ↑ "Preserving Kurdish culture in America through botany". www.rudaw.net. 6 Sep 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  4. ↑ Zbeedat, Nagham. "Khubeza, the Wild Plant Palestinians in Gaza Are Foraging for Amid Soaring Hunger and War". Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  5. ↑ "Family Food Stories | ANU". Museum of the Jewish People. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  6. 1 2 אליהו, מילי (17 March 2021). "סופר-פוד בחצר הבית: מרק, קציצות וממולאים נפלאים מעלי חוביזה" [Superfood in the backyard: soup, meatballs, and wonderful fillings made from khubiza leaves]. Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  7. ↑ جمعة, علاء (1 Mar 2023). "ماذا يجب أن تعرف عن نبتة الخبيزة وفوائدها المذهلة! – DW – 2021/3/1". dw.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  8. ↑ حديدي, صبحي (10 March 2024). "خبيزة غزّة وخريطة نتنياهو | صبحي حديدي". القدس العربي (in Arabic). Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  9. ↑ درباس, ناهد (26 Jan 2017). "موسم البقوليات في فلسطين: علت وخبيزة وأشياء أخرى". Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  10. ↑ Zbeedat, Nagham. "Khubeza, the wild plant Palestinians in Gaza are foraging for amid soaring hunger and war". Haaretz.com. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  11. ↑ "Preserving Kurdish culture in America through botany". www.rudaw.net. 6 Sep 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  12. ↑ Jacobs, Daniel (1999). Jerusalem: The Mini Rough Guide. Rough Guides. p. 211. ISBN 978-1-85828-579-5. Retrieved 7 Sep 2025.
  13. ↑ Kessler, Dana (6 March 2013). "Israeli Chefs Think Green". Tablet. Retrieved 7 Sep 2025.