The decline of stuffed cabbage rolls

[Spareribs]

I remember once when I was little, I tried stuffed cabbage rolls probably from a frozen food box from a supermarket or maybe it was at a friend's house. I loved it! Unfortunately after that, I never had it again.
 
I never see it anywhere except maybe at some supermarkets from time to time. I understand that this is an old world dish that has declined. 
 
My theory on why people don't eat this dish is because cabbage is so unfashionable in the food world. When people think of cabbage, they think of some old food that a peasant grand mom eats from the old country. I have never seen cooked cabbage featured at a restaurant.  Nobody gets excited about cabbage. I like it though. 

 

[boblauer]

Cabbage is often at eastern European restaurants, my German mother in law makes great red cabbage and I love sauerkraut. Haven't made cabbage rolls in years but might very soon, thanks to you

 

[Spareribs]

Yes. Good point. Maybe in parts of old eastern Europe, it's still popular and not declined.  I hope to visit eastern Europe someday, particularly the Ukraine even though I have no idea about the country. 

 

[boblauer]

Have friends that were in Poland and loved it, I've been in Austria and Slovakia fun times. I'd like to visit the Baltic states

 

[Spareribs]

Wow. Sounds amazing. I've never been to Eastern Europe but it sounds so good. It's a land of pork and beer. How can anyone hate it? I need to visit. 

 

[Peti]

Stuffed cabbage is a national food in Hungary. They make a mix of rice and ground beef/pork with real spices like black pepper and hungarian paprika powder, let this mix settle for a night and then fill the leaves with it. Then they put the rolls in a big bucket-like pan, add broth, spices pieces of garlic, smoked ribs and/or sausage (similar to bratwurst or leberwurst) and sour cabbage juice and cook it slow (simmer) for hours. They serve it with sour cream and traditional hungarian bread (which is similar to all the breads in eastern Eu).
 

 
Sometimes they make small ones, now that's my favourite:
 

 

[boblauer]

That's exactly how my family made them, from Southern Germany. Too bad the wifey does not like cabbage or that would be Saturday dinner.

 

[Spareribs]

Wow. Looks so good!

 

[Redcarmoose]

Where I'm at in Indonesia we have cabbage rolls everywhere.

Still in the states I think cabbage is still king with Irish? How could it not be?

 

[Spareribs]

I grew up in the North east part of the States where there are lots of Irish Americans. Cabbage is not popular. Irish Americans do not proudly talk about cabbage. On St. Patricks day, the sales will go up but in general, it's not popular.
 
However, cabbage is still found in the supermarkets year round. So I think families and old people do buy it because its cheap. But nobody proudly admits it. I love it though. I'm proud of it.

 

[Redcarmoose]

I grew up in the North east part of the States where there are lots of Irish Americans. Cabbage is not popular. Irish Americans do not proudly talk about cabbage. On St. Patricks day, the sales will go up but in general, it's not popular.

However, cabbage is still found in the supermarkets year round. So I think families and old people do buy it because its cheap. But nobody proudly admits it. I love it though. I'm proud of it.

Interesting. I could eat it all the time. Though maybe it has no nutrition? Iceberg lettuce has 0 value as the body does not digest it at all. Just a pass through food.

edit:

Turns out sauerkraut is easier to digest.

 

[Peti]

Sour cabbage (sauerkraut in german) is full of vitamin C. You think lemon has a bunch of vitamin C? forget it. It's been used during wintertime for centuries over there. Old ladies specialized to ferment them in huge kegs:
 

 

[Spareribs]

I finally found a place today that serves stuffed cabbage. It was at a Polish cafe not too far from me. 
 

 

 
 
I also ate pierogi which is a Polish style dumpling.
 

 

[mutabor]

  Yes. Good point. Maybe in parts of old eastern Europe, it's still popular and not declined.  I hope to visit eastern Europe someday, particularly the Ukraine even though I have no idea about the country. 

 
Cabbage is very popular in Ukraine and Russia. They make many dishes from it. They also like to make sour/ pickled cabbage. Cabbage rolls are very popular there and are called 'golubtsi'.
 

 

 

[Spareribs]

This is excellent. I'm happy that it survives.