There are foods that are not just a recipe; they are a memory. Sitia's dolmadia is one of them. Every spring, when the vines shed their first tender leaves, the courtyards of houses are filled with women holding baskets and choosing one by one the most tender vine leaves. They know that these will become one of the most beloved foods of the year.
The leaves were then carefully blanched and many were preserved in brine, so that the aroma of spring would accompany the family table even in winter.
The wrapping of dolma is a ritual. Grandmothers, mothers and daughters would sit around the kitchen table and, while chatting or singing, would wrap dozens of small dolma. There was no rush; each one had to be small, tight and uniform. They even said that a good dolma should fit in a single bite.
In Sitia, the filling remains simple, like all the great dishes of Cretan cuisine. Rice, onion, plenty of extra virgin olive oil (the pride of Sitia), fresh mint, parsley and often aromatic fennel, which gives the characteristic aroma of eastern Crete. Most traditional recipes are suitable for fasting, because dolmadakia were a favorite food during the long fasts, but there are also versions with a little minced meat for the holidays. In Sitia, the filling has its own special character. In addition to rice, onion and plenty of extra virgin olive oil, cumin is the spice that gives Sitia dolmadakia their special aroma. In the spring, when artichokes are at their best, many housewives add grated fresh artichoke to the filling, an old local custom that makes the food even more aromatic and delicious.
The word "dolmas" comes from the Turkish word dolma, which means "stuffed". However, the idea of wrapping a filling in leaves is much older and has been around since ancient times. In Crete, where grapes have been cultivated for thousands of years, grape leaves naturally became the best way to create this wonderful food.
Today, Sitia's stuffed vegetables still remind us of the old family table. They are served warm or cold, always with plenty of lemon, a little extra virgin olive oil and local sheep's yogurt. They are one of those dishes that prove that authentic Cretan cuisine does not need luxuries. All it takes is good ingredients, patience and the love with which the old housewives wrapped these small vine leaves one by one, giving each bite a little of the soul of their place.
SITIKA DOLMADAKI
As Mrs. Maria from Skopi, Sitia, used to make them
"Dolmadakia, my child, require patience and love. If you're in a hurry, it's better to leave them for another day," Mrs. Maria told me with a smile, as she spread out on the table the tender vine leaves she had cut from the vine early in the morning.
"First, we choose the most tender leaves. We blanch them for two or three minutes, just enough to soften them and make them easy to roll. If they are the ones we put in the jar, we rinse them well to remove the brine."
For the filling, he puts plenty of olive oil from Sitia in the pot and sautés two dried onions along with two bunches of spring onions, all finely chopped. Once they are shiny, he adds the chopped mint, parsley and plenty of dill.
"Here is the secret of Sitia," he tells me, lowering his voice. "We never forget a little cumin. It doesn't take much; just enough to give the filling a musky aroma. And when it's artichoke season, we rub a fresh artichoke into the rice. This is the delicacy I learned from my mother."
Then he turns off the heat and adds three cups of Carolina or Nykhaki rice and stirs it for a few minutes with the aromatics, so that it soaks up the oil and aromas.
At the table, the most beautiful part of the recipe begins. He takes a grape leaf, places a small spoonful of filling on the back side (not the shiny one) and carefully wraps it.
"Make them small, my girl. They should fit in one bite. That's how the old people learned to make them and that's how we still make them in Skopje."
He first lays a few vine leaves on the bottom of the pot and places the stuffed cabbage rolls on top of them, one next to the other, so tightly that they don't move during cooking.
He pours on plenty of olive oil, the juice of one or two lemons, and adds a little water, just enough to cover them. He places a plate on top to keep them in place.
"Now they don't need to be rushed. Low heat and about forty minutes. The house will be filled with smells and then you'll know they're ready."
Mrs. Maria always lets them rest a little before serving them.
"Dolmadakia don't need much. Just a little more lemon, good olive oil from Sitia and loved ones around the table. Then they become truly delicious."
Add some sheep's yogurt, the local one from Pantelis, and enjoy.
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