.png)
Over the past few months being in college; with the stresses of homework, extra curriculars, and trying to keep some semblance of normalcy in our lives, I have found myself taking comfort in cooking for myself and with my close friends. However, there has been nothing that I have missed more than traditional home-cooked meals that I grew up with. And the dish that I have missed the most was something that I always made with my grandmother that has an important meaning in our family. Dolma is a popular Armenian dish that consists of grapevine leaves stuffed with a mixture of meat and rice. The ingredients consist of minced beef, rice, medium chopped onions, chopped garlic, a lot of coriander and parsley, tomato sauce, chopped mint, yoghurt, and the grape leaves. The first step is to put it in a large bowl, mix all the ingredients very well by hand, except the rice and grape leaves. Then you mix in the rice and you take your canned leaves, wash them in hot water. Then you prep the water by placing some grape leaves on the bottom of a medium to large pot to prevent the dolma from sticking. My favorite part is when you spread the leaf on the cutting board, with the wrong side up and the stem end towards you. Then you put a teaspoon of filling near the stem end and use your hands to fold the sides and roll it up like a cigar. After that, you place the rolled dolma in the pot and lay it down in two or three layers. To ensure stability you place a plate over the top and fill the pot with 2 cups of water. Finally, you heat your stove to medium heat and proceed to cook the dolma for 50 minutes and voila it is ready! In my opinion, however, one of the most interesting things about dolma is the rich history and the conflict behind it; for all of my life, I remember people arguing whether it is Armenian, Turkish, Greek, Lebanese, Arabic, Azeri, etc. And you would think that this is purely a culinary question, but in fact, the origin and preparation of dolma is argued between presidents, politicians, ministers, community organizations, and the media. Dolma was first mentioned over two millennia ago, when it appeared as a food in Crete at Knossos, the Minoan palace. After the Turkish conquest of Constantinople in 1453, dolma became an increasingly common fare as the ruling Ottoman Empire expanded. Initially, dolma was enjoyed by the Sultan, the court Vizier, and other courtiers until it passed down into the homes of families.
My whole life I have heard my family and other friends argue about where this dish culturally originated, and it perplexed me. Why does it matter where it came from? This question has been brought up more than ever in my family now with the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which has created further separation. However, I think it should be viewed as another thing that unites us culturally, rather than dividing us. Especially in this time of uncertainty and polarization, it is important to find what brings us together. Cooking is all about people and food is one of the main aspects of life where we can find common ground and shared experiences. That is what this meal represents to me. Dolma is not only a part of culture or identity, but also nourishment for the body and soul. To me, the cultural argument behind dolma and with other recipes is just another way that people can connect with one another, find communities, and make lifelong relationships. I look forward to the day that I prepare this special meal with my family again and share with my friends the love and rich heritage of dolma.
Yelena Bagdasaryan is a McConnell Scholar in the class of 2024. She is studying biology and political science at the University of Louisville.