Dolma from the local mulberry trees. Stuffed vine leaves without meat are sometimes called "yalancı dolma", which means "liar's dolma" in Turkish. "Vişneli yalancı dolması" is a variation of stuffed vine leaves where the rice is seasoned with cinnamon, allspice and mint. The dolmas are slowly cooked together with morello cherries ("vişne"), and plums may be used also. A modern Israeli recipe has a meat-filled variant served in a pomegranate sauce with dried cherries. In Persian cuisine "basuts dolma" is a dish of cabbage rolls stuffed with beans and tart fruits. In Armenia, it is called Lenten Dolma or Pasuts Tolma
Bulgarian cuisine traders started bringing herbs and spices to the First Bulgarian Empire from India and Persia via the Roman and later Byzantine empires. This is evident from the wide popularity of dishes like moussaka, gyuvetch, kyufte and baklava, which are common in Middle Eastern cuisine today. White brine cheese called "sirene" (сирене), similar to feta, is also a popular ingredient used in salads and a variety of pastries. Holidays are often observed in conjunction with certain meals. On Christmas Eve, for instance, tradition requires vegetarian stuffed peppers and cabbage leaf sarmi, New Year's Eve usually involves cabbage dishes, Nikulden (Day of