Stuffed Cabbage Rolls are a Worldwide Phenomenon

Do you know about Stuffed Cabbage? Oh boy, you should know about this comfort food! You see, Stuffed Cabbage has seriously become a worldwide phenomenon like we haven't seen for another such Hungarian comfort food. Why not Google "stuffed cabbage" and "stuffed cabbage rolls" if you have a couple of minutes. You might notice that everybody is talking about this comfort food! I'd like to think that I have helped, throughout the years, encouraging people to express their love for the ethnic dish. And, we know that Martha Stewart has added her voice to the discussion as well.

I honestly can't think of another dish quite like it. But, I am partial to the one that I think is best. You know, it seems that there are so many versions of the recipe throughout Eastern Europe and the world.

For me, I don't think there is any recipe better than traditional Hungarian like the recipe my grandmother Julia Nagy handed down to us. She had a secret ingredient that added that special flavor.

Photo: Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls in cast-iron pot cooking - copyright JaguarJulie.

Stuffed Cabbage as it's known worldwide!
I spent quite a bit of time researching this information to assemble this list. Did I get your country on that list?

* Golubtsy - Russia
* Golabki (little pigeons) - Poland
* Halubcy - Belarus
* Holishkes - Ashkenazi Jewish
* Holubki - Czech Republic and Slovakia
* Holubtsi - Ukraine
* Kaldolmar - Sweden
* Kaalikaaryle - Finland
* Kohlroulade - Austria
* Krautwickel - Germany
* Lahana Dolmasi - Turkey
* Malfoof - Jordan (Middle East)
* Rouru Kyabetsu - Japan
* Sarma - The Balkans
* Sarmale - Romania
* Toltott Kaposzta - Hungary
* Vegetarian - Worldwide

Who Loves Stuffed Cabbage?

Martha Stewart loves making Golabki aka little pigeons; the Polish version. Undoubtedly, Martha Stewart is the brand ambassador for Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls. And, I am the Hungarian version brand ambassador!

Stuffed Cabbage Worldwide Popularity Poll
For several years, we asked our readers to register their votes on their favorite version of the recipe. We asked them to pick just one of their favorite comfort food recipes. The votes are in!

The poll results:

3% Golubtsy - Russia, 21% Golabki - Poland, 1% Halubcy - Belarus, 4% Holishkes - Ashkenazi Jewish, 7% Holubki - Czech Republic and Slovakia, 4% Holubtsi - Ukraine, 1% Kaldolmar - Sweden, 0% Kaalikaaryle - Finland, 1% Kohlroulade - Austria, 5% Krautwickel - Germany, 1% Lahana Dolmasi - Turkey, 1% Malfoof - Jordan (Middle East), 1% Rouru Kyabetsu - Japan, 3% Sarma - The Balkans, 4% Sarmale - Romania, 36% Toltott Kaposzta - Hungary, 5% Vegetarian - Worldwide

2,273 people have voted in this poll.

#1 - The top vote with 36% : Toltott Kaposzta - Hungary
#2 - The second highest vote with 21% : Golabki - Poland

Why do you think these rolls are so popular?

Because JaguarJulie has promoted it perhaps? If you haven't noticed, this ethnic food has become a popular food. Every day someone is blogging about them and talking about the various ingredients that they use. We want to thank the fans for making this a talked about comfort food worldwide!

Has Martha Stewart 'popularized' them? We will honestly give credit to Martha for making Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls a worldwide phenomenon. On her TV Show, she was always preparing some of those rolls!

For several years, we ran a debate asking this very question. I have selected a few of the comments.

Oh yes, I'd say it's definitely because of Martha Stewart!

1. Hard to say. But when someone famous really gets behind something, it usually makes a difference. So I will vote for Martha.
2. I agree that Martha Stewart has made cooking popular again, especially in the younger households.
3. Well, there must be some reason that the homey and comforting cabbage rolls got trendy, I assume that it is Martha, tho you don't need to be a celebrity to know what's genuinely good!

No, I think it has gained in popularity because of some other reason.

1. I think that stuffed cabbage was very popular before Martha Stewart, however, it may have been in my family.
2. No, I would say our Grandmothers made it popular. Thank you to all the grandmothers. =)
3. I say it is a combination. I think that Martha Stewart has helped popularize stuffed cabbage rolls. Stuffed cabbage rolls have been the tradition of many countries so it is not just Martha Stewart alone.

Which country's recipe is the best?

It's a head-to-head debate pitting Hungarian vs. Polish! I've done years of research and have noticed that two countries dominate! So, which one -- Hungarian or Polish is the best? We ran that debate for a number of years, as well. All in all, the results were pretty much the same as our original poll results ... rather a 3 to 2 vote making Hungarian the best as rated by our readers!! Here's what a few of them had to say about it.

Polish is the best!

1. I have to go with my heritage!
2. My gramma' made the best stuffed cabbage. We lived in an area of Chicago where Polish foods dominated and that sort of influenced the way we ate. 'Course, almost any stuffed cabbage is well worth the time it takes to enjoy it.
3. I'd have to vote Polish... I learned how to make them from my dad, who in turn learned from his Polish mother. Oh, and my own grandmother (maternal) used to shop at West Side Market.... as did I, up until a couple of years ago when I moved out of the U.S.!

Hungarian is the best!

1. It's just a dish that screams Hungarian. Like Hungarian Goulash.
2. I grew up eating the Hungarian style of Stuffed Cabbage. We always had it at the holidays and friends and relatives were requesting it at weddings, parties, etc.
3. Well, may ancestors came from Vas County Hungary, and grandma was a GREAT COOK so I'd have to say Hungary has it! Thanks for this!

Thanks for visiting!

So, can you pick between the two; i.e. Hungarian or Polish? Maybe you are a little of both yourself - like me! I've tried a lot of stuffed cabbage in my lifetime and I always come back to my Grandma's recipe. It's got to be Hungarian! You know, Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls are the perfect comfort food! Grandma surely knew best. Thanks Grandma!!

History: Stuffed Cabbage : The Best Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Ever was originally created on Squidoo by JaguarJulie on December 21, 2007. In December 2008, it was voted the 'Best Cooking Lens' in the 2008 Giant Squid Awards Competition for Food and Cooking. On April 16, 2009 this lens earned the Purple Star Award for quality content.

Stuffed Cabbage - Best Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Ever

Ah, Stuffed Cabbage! Sharing the Best Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Ever thanks to my grandma! One of my fondest food memories growing up is watching my grandmother make her Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls. The second memory is enjoying the delicious taste! My grandma Julia Nagy had a "secret ingredient" that made her authentic, traditional stuffed cabbage rolls the best I have ever had to this very day.

I will let you know what her special ingredient is a little later. And, I will share grandma's recipe. We are thankful for our grandmothers who have passed down their family recipes. I think it is important that we celebrate our grandmothers and celebrate our family traditions.

What is stuffed cabbage? It's cabbage leaves stuffed with meat ** beef, lamb or pork ** along with spices and rice. It is an ethnic comfort food that is always better the next day, or the day after that. Do you know that they have become a worldwide phenomenon ... everyone in the world is talking about it these days! Find out why ... here.

Be sure to take part in the debates over which authentic stuffed cabbage rolls recipe is better -- Hungarian or Polish -- and whether it is a seasonal comfort food. I personally think they are great any time of the year, not just for the holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas and St. Patrick's Day! What do you think? Do you love it as much as I do?

I hope you enjoy this page and that you make it a point to either make them yourself or find a restaurant where you can have some! These rolls are great with homemade mashed potatoes and the juice from the pot.

Photo Credit: The actual delicious dish, Hungarian style, by JaguarJulie.

Are you a Fan of This Ethnic Comfort Food?
Do you love it or not? Do you love the taste?

1. Yumm, Yumm, Yumm! Love love love it!
2. Haven't tried it yet.
3. Naw, don't like it.

My Confession : I Personally Love Stuffed Cabbage!!
To me, grandma's recipe is the best-ever! "It's my favorite comfort food! My grandma really knew how to make it!"

You know, I've been talking about my grandma Julia Nagy's authentic and traditional Hungarian comfort food recipes for a number of years online. In my opinion, she made anything : the best ever. She always seemed to have that special "secret" ingredient! Perhaps it was grandma's love?

It is incredible just how popular this ethnic comfort food has become. It is a healthy food too. Everybody is talking about it! How about you? Are you talking about your grandma's authentic recipes? Are you loving them? Have you got a best-ever, authentic and traditional recipe to share?

Do you prefer Hungarian or perhaps Polish like Martha Stewart might make? I've tried a lot of different recipes - homemade and store bought - but I keep going back to the original. I like mine with a blend of meats as that is a mainstay of the original recipe.

Dear readers, I want to thank you for taking time to check out my page on stuffed cabbage. Oh my to think that we food enthusiasts could have such a platform as the internet to write about our favorite foods and then touch so many worldwide.

I can't tell you what it all has meant to me to connect with everybody. I am so thankful to have had such great food memories from my youth. I am so thankful to have had a grandmother like Julia Nagy. And, I sincerely hope one day to be cooking with her again. --The Brand Ambassador, JaguarJulie!

P.S. I was the Official Squidoo Comfort Foods Contributor! Did you know that? Well, you probably guessed it.

Doesn't this look delicious?
Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage Roll served with tomato sauce and sauerkraut and a peppercorn!

Hungarian stuffed cabbage roll by JaguarJulie

When do you eat them?
Is Stuffed Cabbage a seasonal recipe or a recipe for all four seasons?

stuffed cabbage google trends analysis

Which season is right for this delicious comfort food? I am a huge fan of Google Trends and love to research different topics there!

An incredible amount of researchers are conducting Google searches for the best stuffed cabbage recipes in the world. It surely seems that authentic Hungarian and Polish recipes are ranking at the top. Everybody wants traditional recipes that are considered the best-ever. And, most times, those are our grandmother's heirloom recipes.

Yep, Google is trending this favorite food. What I think is quite captivating information from this chart is that this comfort food is a consistent type of trend throughout the years. Take a look at the dips and peaks of the chart -- it seems to indicate that this is a popular food during different seasons. So, please take part in this somewhat scientific poll! Thank you.

The Poll : When do you eat them?
Which season is right? When during the year do you eat Stuffed Cabbage Rolls?

1. I eat them in the winter months.
2. You can find me eating them more in the fall. 
3. I like stuffed cabbage rolls during the spring months.
4. Surprisingly, I love eating during the summer!
5. Seasonal - for all four seasons -- naw, I eat them all year around.
6. OK -- I'm just thinking about eating some.

Ingredients for Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Look closely to learn some of MY secret ingredients.

Grandma's Recipe Made for the Holidays!
Preparation time: 3 hours. Serves 8.

Grandma's Ingredients:
1 large cabbage
2 jars of sauerkraut
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 lb. lean ground pork
1/2 cup cooked long grain rice
1 raw egg
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 cans chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 cups of water
1 Tbsp. peppercorns
6 bay leaves
1 Tbsp. Hungarian paprika
salt and black pepper

Zaprashka:
4 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. flour

Grandma's Secret Ingredient
We are revealing it right here!

OK, now for what my grandmother Julia Nagy called her "secret ingredient." It's Zaprashka, a sauce or gravy that is a thickening.

How to make the Zaprashka: Blend 4 Tbsp. butter* [or oil] and 4 Tbsp. flour together in a frying pan. Keep on medium heat and keep stirring until lightly browned and the lumps have dissolved. Slowly add the liquid mixture directly from the cooking pot to the Zaprashka and blend until smooth. Then, add this mixture back to the cooking stuffed cabbage!

*My grandmother brought home the very best butter from the West Side Market in Cleveland. --JaguarJulie

Instructions for Making Grandma's Recipe!
Follow these step-by-step instructions for Grandma's delicious recipe.

1. Remove core from the cabbage, place in a large saucepan, cover with water, then bring to the boil and cook until the outer leaves begin to loosen.
2. Lift out the cabbage, remove the softened leaves and return the head to the pan of boiling water to soften more leaves. Repeat until all leaves are removed.
3. Once all the leaves have been softened, remove the center stalks from each leaf and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, place the beef, pork, rice, bread crumbs, salt, paprika, pepper and egg in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Grandma liked extra black pepper! Set aside.
5. Place the onion and garlic in a saucepan and saute until the onion is soft.
6. Add the onion mixture to the beef mixture and mix well.
7. Spoon half the sauerkraut into the bottom of a large cast iron pot and set aside.
8.  Using the largest leaves, place about a handful of the meat and rice mixture on each leaf and roll up, tucking in sides. Lightly press the mixture into the leaves. Place the cabbage rolls with the seam side down on top of the sauerkraut in the cast iron pot. Sprinkle the peppercorns and add the bay leaves on top.
9. Add the unused leaves, chopped, on top in the cooking pot.
10. Mix the tomatoes, water and remaining sauerkraut together and add on top.
11. Cook on medium until mixture begins to bubble, turn down heat to a simmer and allow to cook for 3 hours. I like to let it simmer on the stove a little longer.
12. Near serving time, prepare the zapraska in a skillet, pouring liquid from the pot into the zapraska and then add back to the pot. The stuffed cabbage rolls should simmer for another 15 minutes with the added zapraska.
13. Grandma always served hers with homemade mashed potatoes, adding the liquid from the pot to the potatoes! YUMM!

Tips :: How to Work With a Cabbage Head
To easily get the best cabbage leaves!

Tips :: How to Work With a Cabbage Head

Carefully cut out the core of the cabbage head using a paring knife. Put the head into a large pot of boiling water that is big enough to fully cover it. Boil for a couple of minutes; less than 5 usually. You can tell the outer leaves are ready to remove as they will be a brighter green color and tender to a fork.

Remove the cooking head and carefully peal off the outer leaves and set aside. Place the head back into the boiling water and repeat the process.

TIP: Carefully trim the center stem on the softened leaves so that they will be easier to roll.

P.S. Some chefs like to first put their cabbage heads in the freezer; however, my Hungarian grandma Julia Nagy never put hers in the freezer -- so I don't either. You are welcome to try it if you like.

I have added a downloadable version of the tips as gray box jpg above. Just right click and save image to your computer so that you can print it out!

Thanks for visiting!
Do you love this food like I do? Got a great recipe? You know, I've tried a lot of different recipes over the years, but I honestly have not had any other stuffed cabbage rolls that can compete with grandma's. Taking time to create each delicious roll is well worth the end result. Psst, try it, you'll love it! Please share comments, raves, remarks and recipes!

The Perfect Food!!
You know, the more I think about it, now that I've gotten to be the age of my grandma, STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS are a perfect food. They are so comforting; ah, comfort food. Grandma surely knew best.

History: Stuffed Cabbage : The Best Stuffed Cabbage Rolls Ever was originally created on Squidoo by JaguarJulie on December 21, 2007. In December 2008, it was voted the 'Best Cooking Lens' in the 2008 Giant Squid Awards Competition for Food and Cooking. On April 16, 2009 this lens earned the Purple Star Award for quality content. This lens made it to the #1 spot overall on Squidoo on April 19, 2009. Then, nearly 5 years later in 2014: January 3 and 30, February 1 and 3, March 28, and April 5. Thank YOU readers!

The Stuffed Cabbage Love Poll

Do you love Stuffed Cabbage? Have you registered your vote in the Stuffed Cabbage Love Poll? We are working to get the vote out folks for our favorite comfort food. Is it your favorite comfort food? Let's hear from you! So ... here is how we stand thus far:

The Stuffed Cabbage Love Poll

According to my Excel spreadsheet calculation, 90.4% of the love vote equates to 4,341 Stuffed Cabbage fans out there. Almost 5,000 readers have already registered their votes in the Stuffed Cabbage Love Poll.

We have a worldwide readership base of readers for our Stuffed Cabbage page. And, Stuffed Cabbage is known worldwide, in many different cultures, with many different recipes. 7.7%, or about 370, of the readers acknowledging that they haven't tried stuffed cabbage yet. Gosh, let's get the lead out people! There are plenty of different recipes; you can find it at restaurants; you can buy it in the store. Why not add Stuffed Cabbage to your Bucket List?

Hey! Only 2%, or about 96, of the readers said "Naw, don't like stuffed cabbage!!" Not bad, you all. I think that number can be a changeable number. By that I mean, because there are so many different delicious recipes for Stuffed Cabbage, I'm of the thinking they need to try another recipe, like Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage. Then, I believe they will become a fan!

So ... it is time to get the vote out! Let your vote be heard ... vote in The Stuffed Cabbage Love Poll.

Favorite Stuffed Cabbage Recipe Poll

What Stuffed Cabbage Recipe has been voted the favorite of our readers? Is it the Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage rolls recipe or the Polish Stuffed Cabbage rolls recipe? Could it possibly be something else; like a vegetarian stuffed cabbage rolls recipe? Have you voted in that stuffed cabbage poll?

It is pretty amazing that this comfort food has such a worldwide popularity! Growing up, I sincerely thought there was only one stuffed cabbage; my grandma Julia Nagy's Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage. Truly!  Of course, as a child, I got to taste my other grandma's stuffed cabbage recipe. She was of Polish and Ukrainian descent.

It was Easter and the family were visiting those grandparents. First, we were served cold beet soup.  Folks, don't you know that kids have zero appreciation for cold beet soup? Next, came along the stuffed cabbage. Hey, what the heck is buckwheat doing in the stuffed cabbage rolls? You catch what I am saying? Kids don't like buckwheat in the stuffed cabbage.

Later in life, I got to try Polish Stuffed Cabbage rolls locally at an authentic Polish restaurant in St. Augustine. While the filling in those rolls was pretty tasty, I didn't enjoy the tomato soup like liquid nor the large shape of the rolls.

So, we have come to our analytical and slightly scientific poll. It's the poll for determining your favorite Stuffed Cabbage worldwide. We asked the question, "Which recipe for Stuffed Cabbage is your favorite?" We included 17 poll options for stuffed cabbage recipes worldwide.

Golubtsy - Russia, Golabki (little pigeons) - Poland, Halubcy - Belarus, Holishkes - Ashkenazi Jewish, Holubki - Czech Republic and Slovakia, Holubtsi - Ukraine, Kaldolmar - Sweden, Kaalikaaryle - Finland, Kohlroulade - Austria, Krautwickel - Germany, Lahana Dolmasi - Turkey, Malfoof - Jordan (Middle East), Rouru Kyabetsu - Japan, Sarma - The Balkans, Sarmale - Romania, Toltott Kaposzta - Hungary, and Vegetarian – Worldwide

What have the readers determined, by their votes, as the favorite Stuffed Cabbage recipe? Of some 1,270 poll votes cast, it's neck and neck with Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage [Toltott Kaposzta] at 26.2% and Polish Stuffed Cabbage [Golabki] at 25.2%. That's a tight contest! Third place isn't even in the competition.

Favorite Stuffed Cabbage Recipe Poll

How do you feel about those stuffed cabbage poll results? Do you agree? Have you already voted in that poll? FYI ... I voted for Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage as my favorite recipe!

Love Hungarian cooking? Get some of the traditional, authentic Hungarian recipes; get an authentic Hungarian cookbook!

P.S. My original Squidoo page on Stuffed Cabbage was created on December 21, 2007 to pay tribute to the memory of my grandmother, Julia Nagy.  I am eternally grateful that my grandma instilled in me an appreciation for my heritage and for authentic and traditional Hungarian and Slavic foods.