Sarma is part of the broader category of stuffed dishes known as dolma, and has equivalents (such as the Polish Gołąbki) in Eastern European cuisines from the northern Baltic through Romania.

[5] Vişneli yalancı dolması is a variation of stuffed vine leaves where the rice is seasoned with cinnamon, allspice, and mint.

[4] Stuffed chard leaves are called pazı dolması in Turkey[7] and dolmas de pazi by Sephardi Jews who settled in Argentina.

Dried fruits like fig and apricot may be added to the rice mixture before the celery root is stuffed, wrapped, and baked in the oven.

Sarma is typically a meat dish filled with a combination of beef, pork, and rice, wrapped in sauerkraut leaves.

A sauce made of horseradish mixed with sour cream, mayonnaise, salt, and apple cider vinegar is also used as a condiment.

[17] In Cyprus koupepia, also known as dolmades, are made with ground beef and pork, rice, and a tomato and cinnamon sauce all wrapped in a grape leaf.

[21] In Romania and Moldova, sarmale (singular sarma) are popular in all historical regions, including Moldavia, Transylvania, and Wallachia.

This original Turkish dish slowly became integrated into Romania's culture after the Romanian principalities became vassals of the Ottoman Empire.

[23] Romania has a large garden and farm culture and Romanians love to make sarmale as they grow many of the ingredients such as cabbage near their home.

[24] The Romanian poet Păstorel Teodoreanu wrote a poem about sarmale, comparing it to a “bouquet of spices".

When preparing this meal for visitors it is critical to have the sarmale soak up the flavor of the smoked meat to make it as tasty as possible.

[26] During the fasting season of Lent there are alternative versions of sarmale that might replace the pork with smoked fish and include vegetables such as carrots by grating them.

[27] In Serbia, the classic form of stuffed cabbage rolls has minced meat, which could be pork or beef.

One version made with fava beans is called bakla sarma[31] or Amasya baklalı dolması.

[32] The filling for this variant from Amasya is made with dried fava beans and a coarsely ground wheat called yarma cooked in a seasoned tomato sauce.

The wrapped sarma are layered over bone-in lamb chops and slowly simmered in the cooking liquid.

Stuffing: minced beef or lamb, rice, chopped onion, salt, ground pepper.

[41] Danube Swabians have a version of sarma with cabbage leaves, ground pork, onion, garlic, rice and tomato sauce.