Holishkes (also holipches or huluptzes or prokes or gefilte kroit) is cabbage roll dish in Eastern European Jewish cuisine. Holishkes are prepared from blanched cabbage leaves wrapped in a parcel-like manner around minced meat and then simmered in tomato sauce. Sometimes rice is added to the meat filling. While the dish is eaten all year round, it is customarily served on Sukkot to symbolize a bountiful harvest, and on Simchat Torah because two stuffed cabbage rolls placed side by side resemble Torah scrolls.

History

Jews in the Russian Empire and north-eastern Poland adapted holishkes from their Tatar and Turkish neighbors, such as the similar sarma. Eastern Europeans called it gołąbki (little doves), because the rolled cabbage in sauce resembled a bird in a nest. The spicing varies by community. Hungarian Jews use a dash of marjoram; Syrians add cinnamon; Persians add dill and mint. As meat was expensive, rice was added to extend the meat.