Why do we call a Swedish King tagged with the nickname “Demirbaş” that can literally be translated as Iron Head, and how is this related to a cabbage? It is a long story that stretches back to 300 years, so let’s unfold it and find about its relationship with one of my favorite winter dishes, stuffed cabbage rolls, “lahana dolması” in Turkish, and unroll the connection of the cabbage roll all the way from Türkiye to Sweden.
A king with big ambitions
It is the story of Swedish King Charles XII dating back to early 1700’s, starting a “Misson Impossible” to invade Russia following his quest to “Make Sweden Great Again”, messing up with the Russians and the bitter Russian winter, eventually ending up being a refugee in Moldovia, then part of the Ottoman Empire, in the mercy of the Turks. Around 1700, Sweden was in conflict with the alliance of Denmark and Norway, stretching to Saxony, Poland and Russia. His campaign against this alliance, starting the Great Northern War, was initially a success but ended up in Sweden’s defeat. His military skills were phenomenal; he was a heroic warrior, but the recently reinforced Russian Army under Peter the Great was a tough enemy. The winter camp in Ukraine also took its toll with its harsh climate, and after the decisive defeat in Poltava, the Swedish army had to run away to Ottoman territory.
Though King Charles was initially welcomed by the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed III, he ended up being an unwanted guest where he took refuge in Bender, today’s Moldova. Causing trouble to locals, with accumulated huge debts to merchants, the Swedish existence proved to be a nuisance to the townspeople, resulting at the chaotic skirmish at Bender. The Ottoman army, that is the Janissaries, managed to settle the uprising, but that was the start of their deportation from Ottoman lands. Fed up by his scheming activities, the Sultan ordered to end his prolonged stay that would add up to five years, three months and nine days. That story alone is worthy of several historical thriller dramas that would definitely hit rating boxes.
A strange nickname
But why was he called Demirbaş by the Turks? There are boosterish interpretations on the Swedish side, suggesting that he was dedicated to his cause, hence called so, meaning stubborn or persistent, but the Turkish version is far from that. In Turkish, the word means state inventory, and it is also a term used for immovable fixture. During his extended stay, the Swedish army was provided with all the necessary provisions, which included several food items, even gallons of vodka. The money came from the state treasury and was registered in detail as “demirbaş” inventory, in hopes that the “guest” king will repay the amount. As the state inventory records grew under the King’s name, it was inevitable that he would be nicknamed in regard to the inventory. Another interpretation includes his almost immovable nature, prolonging his stay and refusing to leave the Ottoman lands.
Cabbage connection
But how is all this related to cabbage? The relation with the cabbage lies in the fact that it was not only the food provision that was provided by the Ottoman treasury. There was also a large kitchen brigade that was given in service of the Swedish troops and cooks that served the king. Cabbage is the ultimate winter vegetable; in certain geographies, it used to be the only vegetable of the snowy winter days, especially so in the vicinity of Bender, where the Swedish colony flourished. One of the most beloved cabbage dishes in Turkish cuisine is meat stuffed cabbage rolls. Apparently, this version of cabbage was served repeatedly to the Swedish guests.
Meat and rice stuffed dishes, named “dolma” meaning stuffed, or “sarma” meaning wrapped or rolled is a strong feature of Turkish cuisine. In many countries, it is considered as an Ottoman influence in local cuisines. Cabbage rolls are no exception. Hungary's beloved dish, “Töltött Káposzta,” is similar to our stuffed cabbage. Töltött is the Hungarian equivalent of the Turkish word dolma. In Hungary, everyone agrees that dishes such as dolma and sarma are part of the Ottoman heritage. This view is also prevalent in Poland with their much loved “Gołąbki.” Cabbage rolls in former Ottoman lands take on familiar names. The word sarma has given its name to dishes called “Sarmale” in Romania and Moldova and ‘Sarmi’ in Bulgaria. In Greece, “Lahanodolmades” interestingly reflects the interaction between the two cultures. We took the word for cabbage from the Greek “lákhanon,” which simply means any edible green or vegetable and in return gave them the word “dolma” for stuffed. The Albanians have created a more interesting mix of words. In the dish “Japrak me Lakër,” the word japrak (yaprak in Turkish), meaning leaf, refers to vine leaves, here referring to the cabbage layers, but also used as meaning rolled, while Lakër means cabbage.
Coming back to unrolling the long connection between Ottoman lands and Sweden. The Swedish community eventually made his way back home, followed by Ottoman creditors hoping to get the money back they had lent to the exiled king. They stayed in Stockholm between 1716 and 1732, quite a long time to wait for the loan to be returned. In the meantime, the cabbage rolls were probably introduced to Swedish national cuisine. An early mention of a cabbage roll in Sweden was in the book written by Cajsa Ward, a famous Swedish food writer, in his cookbook written in 1755. In the fifth editon of the book from 1770, the term “dolma” appears, there is also the use of vine leaves mentioned, not very typical for the Swedish landscape. Eventually, Kåldolmar, notice the word “dolma” here, became part of Swedish cuisine. Since then, we are bonded by the long roll of a cabbage leaf that extends beyond borders. Today, Kåldolmar is almost like a national dish in Sweden, and the dish also became a symbol of peace and friendship against racist protests, emphasizing that history is full of interesting interactions, even the heroic Swedish king was once a refugee, enjoying the alien food of infidel Muslims.
