Dolmades

Allergens at a glance

• OftenEggsWarm meat dolmades are usually served with avgolemono (egg and lemon sauce).
• SometimesMilkServed with yoghurt or tzatziki in some places.
• SometimesTree nutsPine nuts in some rice fillings, more often in Turkish and Armenian versions.
• SometimesSulphitesCurrants or raisins in some fillings; jarred vine leaves can be preserved too.
• SometimesGlutenAvgolemono is sometimes thickened with wheat flour.

Usually in the standard recipe. Often in many versions. Sometimes in some kitchens, or a cross-contact risk.

Diets

• Cold rice dolmades (yalantzí) are usually vegan: rice, herbs, onion, olive oil and lemon.
• Warm dolmades usually contain minced meat and come with an egg-based sauce.
• Check the rice-only versions for meat stock if you're vegetarian.

Recipes change from kitchen to kitchen. If you have an allergy, confirm every ingredient with the restaurant before you order.

What is dolmades?

Dolmades are small parcels of vine (grape) leaves rolled tightly around a filling of rice, herbs and onion, then simmered gently in water, olive oil and lemon. The cold, meat-free version is a classic Greek starter. The warm version, filled with minced meat and rice, is a main course and usually comes with avgolemono, a creamy egg and lemon sauce.

What's in it

The basic filling is short-grain rice, onion or spring onion, dill, mint, parsley, olive oil, lemon and salt. Leaves are blanched fresh or taken from a jar of brine.

The two main families:

• Yalantzí (γιαλαντζί) or dolmadákia (ντολμαδάκια): small, rice and herbs only, served cold with lemon. Some cooks add pine nuts and currants.
• Dolmades with meat (με κιμά, me kimá): minced beef or pork with rice, served warm under avgolemono.

Across the region you'll see close relatives: Turkish zeytinyağlı yaprak sarma (olive oil vine leaves, often with pine nuts and currants), Arabic warak enab (ورق عنب), and cabbage-leaf versions called lachanodolmádes (λαχανοντολμάδες) in Greece.

Allergens and diets

The cold rice version is one of the gentler dishes on a Greek menu, but it's not allergen-free by default. Pine nuts and currants appear in some recipes, especially in Turkish, Armenian and Middle Eastern styles. Pine nuts aren't on the EU and UK list of declarable tree nuts, so ask about them by name. Dried currants and raisins, and some jarred vine leaves, can carry sulphites.

The warm meat version brings egg. Avgolemono is made by tempering beaten egg (or yolks) with hot stock and lemon, and some cooks thicken it with flour or cornflour (cornstarch). Ask if you avoid egg or wheat.

Some tavernas serve tinned dolmades. If so, the tin's label is the most reliable ingredient list you'll get, so ask whether they're homemade.

On the menu

Look for ντολμάδες (ntolmádes) or ντολμαδάκια (ntolmadákia, the small ones) under ορεκτικά (orektiká) for the cold version and μαγειρευτά (mageireftá) for the warm meat version. Αυγολέμονο (avgolémono) in the description means the egg sauce is included.

Last checked 1 November 2026. Spotted something wrong? Email support@inventum.com.au.