Gołąbki

Gołąbki are a form of cabbage rolls. They are a traditional Polish dish consisting of boiled cabbage leaves stuffed with ground beef, chopped onions, and rice or barley, baked in a spicy tomato sauce.

Gołąbki is the plural of gołąbek, the diminutive of gołąb, meaning pigeon (this refers to the shape of the roll; none of the ingredients have any connection with pigeons).

Gołąbki are also referred to as golumpki, golabki, Golumpkies or Golumpkis. Similar Eastern European cabbage roll variations are called: Holupki (Slovak), Töltött Kaposzta (Hungarian), Holubtsi (Ukrainian), Golubtsy (Russian), Balandėliai (Lithuanian) or Sarma (Turkish loan-word, now commonly applied to some Southern Slavic versions of this dish, particularly in the Carpathian and Balkan regions.) Slovak immigrants to America called this dish, "pigs in a blanket."

Gołąbki rolls are usually fist-sized when fully stuffed or rolled. Spiced Pork is sometimes used instead of, or in addition to, beef. There is an unverified story or myth that the Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Casimir IV Jagiellon fed his army with gołąbki before a key battle of the Thirteen years' war outside of Marienburg Castle (Malbork) against the Teutonic Order around 1465. Polish rumor has it, that victory over the Teutonic Order was partially credited to strength of the hearty meal of gołąbki given to the allied Polish and Prussian troops. The castle was not conquered, though, but turned over later.

References

External links

• Golabki recipe from the Polish Cultural Club of Greater Hartford