About
“Food is the universal language that connects us all, transcending borders and cultures.” Tassos Papadopoulos might as well have been talking about koupepia, because if there’s one dish that tells the whole story of Cyprus in a single bite, it’s this one — grape leaves wrapped tight like tiny green scrolls, carrying centuries of memory inside.
Picture Cyprus: sun-bleached hills, old stone houses, and grapevines that twist around backyards like they’ve always belonged there. Koupepia didn’t just show up one afternoon. It grew out of the island’s layered history — Greek, Ottoman, Levantine — a crossroads where everyone arrived with a spice, a technique, a way of turning humble ingredients into something worth gathering around.
And gathering is the heart of it. Koupepia isn’t made by one pair of hands. It’s a team sport. Aunts, cousins, grandmothers — all sitting at a table covered in grape leaves like pieces of green parchment, rolling each one with the kind of muscle memory that comes from doing something a thousand times. It’s the soundtrack of Cyprus: laughter, gossip, the soft thud of a knife against a cutting board.
Inside those leaves is a filling that could only belong to the Mediterranean — rice, minced pork or lamb, onion, parsley, mint, cinnamon, allspice. Sweet, savory, herbal. A blend shaped by centuries of rule and migration, but made unmistakably Cypriot by the hands that fold it. They’re stacked into a pot like precious cargo, sometimes layered with potatoes, then slowly simmered in tomato and lemon until they drink up every drop of flavor.
What comes out isn’t just food. It’s continuity. It’s identity. It’s the kind of dish that reminds you culture isn’t something written in books — it’s something rolled, seasoned, and served at a table loud with people you love.
In modern Cyprus, koupepia still shows up everywhere — at weddings, festivals, Sunday lunches, and restaurant tables where tourists fall in love with it for the first time. Variations exist, sure, but the soul of the dish never changes. It’s still Cyprus on a plate: warm, layered, generous.
Koupepia isn’t just a taste of the island. It’s the island’s heartbeat — wrapped in a leaf, simmered in tradition, and shared in the only way that matters: together.
Samp is meant to be simple and nourishing. Its texture can be adjusted easily: add more water for a looser porridge or simmer longer for a thicker, almost pudding-like consistency. It is one of the closest dishes you can make today to the foods shared at the earliest recorded harvest gatherings in New England.
If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. Let's explore international cuisine together!
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Koupepia From Cyprus
Koupepia, also known as dolmades or stuffed grape leaves, is a cherished Cypriot dish that encapsulates the essence of Cypriot cuisine and culture.
Prep time
1 hour
Cook time
1 hour
Serves
6
INGREDIENTS
1 jar of grape leaves in brine (about 60 leaves)
1 cup long-grain rice
1/2 lb ground pork or lamb
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
Juice of 1-2 lemons
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Instructions
Tightly rolled grape leaves stuffed with meat and rice.
Click here for video recipe and story on Instagram
Prepare the Grape Leaves:
Remove grape leaves from the jar, rinse them well, and blanch in boiling water for a few minutes. This softens the leaves and removes excess brine. Drain and set aside.
Prepare the Filling:
In a saucepan, add ground meat and chopped onions and cook until meat is cooked through and onions soften. Put to the side and let cool.
In a bowl, mix the uncooked rice, ground meat and onion mix, parsley, mint, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and pepper.
Roll the Grape Leaves:
Lay a grape leaf flat, shiny side down. Place about a tablespoon of the filling near the stem end of the leaf.
Fold the sides of the leaf over the filling and then roll it up tightly, similar to rolling a burrito. Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.
When I was doing this I seemed to get too ambitious with the filling amount. Whatever you think is the right amount, do 1/3 less, just so the roll holds through the cooking process.
Layer the Pot:
In the bottom of a large pot, place any torn or unused grape leaves to create a protective layer.
Arrange the rolled grape leaves seam side down in the pot, placing them close to each other to prevent them from unraveling.
Cooking:
Mix the tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes with water olive oil and lemon juice. Pour this mixture over the grape leaves. You can also place a few grape leaves on top to prevent direct contact with the sauce.
Place a heatproof plate upside down over the grape leaves to prevent them from floating during cooking. This helps maintain their shape.
Add enough water to cover the grape leaves. Cover the pot with a lid.
Simmering:
Bring the pot to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Let the grape leaves cook for about 45-60 minutes, until the rice is fully cooked and the flavors meld together.
Serving:
Carefully remove the stuffed grape leaves from the pot and arrange them on a serving platter. Let Koupepia cool and keep overnight, they are always better the next day. They should be eaten room temp or cold.
Optionally, serve them with yogurt or a squeeze of lemon juice.
