Grape leaves

Vitis vinifera · Leafy green

40 pairings

Grape leaves are the broad, lobed foliage of the grapevine (Vitis vinifera), harvested young and tender for cooking. Most often sold brined in jars, they are the classic edible wrapper for stuffed parcels — dolma in Turkish and dolmades in Greek — rolled around rice, herbs and sometimes minced meat.

Picking a good onedrag

Supple, even olive-greenBrown, ropy, brine turned

Sound jar, sizes unevenRoll the supple mid-size leaves. Torn ones line the pot, the standard trick that cushions the rolls from scorching as they simmer.Everyday best

Colour in the jarOlive-green, a few leaves paler or yellow at the edge

Unrolling oneComes away with a tear or two at the outer edge

Stems and veinsVeins standing proud, stems left long, sizes mixed

Smell on openingMostly salt and acid, the grassy note gone faint

What to look for, from supple, even olive-green to brown, ropy, brine turned.

Preparing