The City’s Best Stuffed Cabbage Restaurants

Funzine ^ | 11/22/18 | Funzine

[DallasBiff]

Stuffed cabbage, or as we call it “töltött káposzta” is of Ottoman-Turkish origins, but it became a popular dish in Hungary in the 18th century. It has several variations across the country and abroad as well; in the Balkans, for instance, they use grape leaves instead of a cabbage coat. Here we share the traditional recipe with you.

[DallasBiff]

Didn't know stuffed cabbage is supposedly an Ottoman creation.

I was a little snot, when served stuffed cabbage for dinner, which my mother basically slaved over all day to make.

Now I crave a good stuffed cabbage.

[sonova]

Looks like Mom used to make.
I think she called it “Gawumpki”. Polish, Russian, don’t know my heritage.

[gnarledmaw]

Its one of those funny things of which everyone seems to want to claim ownership.

[T-Bird45]

I think there are more than a few Greeks who would beg to differ on the Turkish origin of the dish. Around here, it is primarily served in Lebanese restaurants.

[MomwithHope]

Dad would sour a few heads of cabbage whole inside his big barrel of kapusta. Then peel off the leaves easily and make your stuffed cabbage with soured leaves. Yum! I don’t make that much kapusta so I would layer the bigger whole raw leaves in a nest and cover with shredded cabbage.

[Leaning Right]

I’m of Hungarian descent. My brothers and I had stuffed cabbage a lot as kids. Good food. We used to call them “Hungarian hand grenades”.

But never when the older folks were around!🙂

[Nifster]

It is good eats

[DFG]

Try the Golabki (stuffed cabbage) at Taste of Poland in Plano. We have had takeout there several times. Good food.

https://dineinpoland.com/main-page/

[EinNYC]

It is good eats

Well, my stuffed cabbage ("holipshes") definitely doesn't contain any pork--I make mine with ground turkey. It is a laborious process, taking 3-4 hours per batch, but mmmmm, it's GOOD. I usually make it for Sukkos, where it's a traditional holiday dish. Gave some to my contractor, who basically inhaled it and hinted he wouldn't mind if I made it again sometime (LOL).

[Tacrolimus1mg]

I’m about half Polish. Can confirm that’s how it’s pronounced, though I’m not certain how it’s spelled.

I’m not a fan of cabbage, but I’ll eat it certain ways. I’m a combo of mostly Polish and German, but I hate sauerkraut. Just downright hate it. But I like stuffed cabbage and I’ll eat certain cole slaws.

[Tacrolimus1mg]

We have a Plano here in Illinois. I got excited for a moment. All of our European restaurants are closing thanks to new migrants arriving (two guesses as to their origins) and changing which businesses are patronized.

The best one in Chicago was where my grandparents had their 25th anniversary dinner. They were married in 1936. Unfortunately, it was bought by Hispanics and they continued making Polish food for some reason. We wound up with glass in our food, which I don’t believe was a mistake. They no longer make bohemian food.

[nopardons]

It's NOT "Turkish" at all; the ONLY thing "TURKISH" is the paprika and that isn't either! When the damned Ottoman Empire invaded and took over Hungary, they brought peppers with them. The Hungarian soil CHANGED those peppers somewhat, the Hungarians ground them into paprika and that's all there is to that!

An d now the Turks make paprika and it STINKS; it'll also turn every sauce/gravy you put it in... a wretched BROWN!

I read the recipe in the article and they're NOT right! It's a translation, but the translation is wanting! SOUR CABBAGE is actually SAUERKRAUT! And that ingredient is used with and without caraway seeds.

NEVER, NOT EVER, sour cream on REAL Hungarian stuffed cabbage; tomato sauce!

Not only do I have my great, great grandmother's recipe for this, but grew up watching it being made by my grandmother and my mothers. I also have many Hungarian cookbooks; the best of which is has exactly the same recipe I have. And minced pork is NOT the only way, ground beef is more usual!

[Bonemaker]

We cherish it via handed down German recipes. It’s all to die for wherever it came from.

[nopardons]

We use saurkraut in between the layers.

[Montana_Sam]

Am not a huge fan of saurkraut, but have figured out if I cook it with chunks of pork, some sweet white onion, some grated ginger root and some soy sauce, the taste is fairly mild. Am eating on a batch I cooked last week.

[Leaning Right]

I’m with you on this. I had stuffed cabbage a lot as a kid (post #6). Never once was it served with sour cream. It was always ground beef in rolled cabbage covered in tomato sauce. And of course the paprika.

Now an unnecessary side story: My older Hungarian relatives carried no obvious grudge against the Ottoman Empire. But boy, did they dislike Romania. It was really odd. Bring up most any topic, and they’d work in complaints about Romania.

This was all due to the loss of Hungarian territory to Romania right after WW1.

[ValleyofHope]

There’s a pretty good Polish restaurant in Carmel, NY. Owner is a nice guy. I ordered the stuffed cabbage, and it was good, though not as good as my late Aunt in-laws.

[arkfreepdom]

Yep. Ate there myself. The pancake house nxt door is awesome, too!

[nopardons]

My family came to American a bit after the Civil War and they still HATED the Ottoman Empire. Then, others were added to the list, even though we had been here a long time.

This European "BLOOD HATRED" is something Americans of other heritage don't understand, but you and I do. :-)

You and I obviously have the same "family recipes". Perhaps it depends on WHERE the family originally came from. But that sour cream made me want to scream!

Some Hungarians DO top cucumber salad with a dolop of sour cream, but my family never did. I've only seen that in recipe books.

Did your family make "dirty noodles"? Boiled, flat egg noodles, covered in lekvar, walnut pieces, and sprinkled with cinnamon? My grandfather loved that for brunch.

[windcliff]

Ping