Warak Enab — country by country
Grape leaves rolled thin as cigars around rice — the dish that measures a cook's patience.
Every country brings its own touch. Here's how they differ.
⚔️ Head to head
Pick two kitchens and see exactly where they part ways.
🇱🇧 Warak Enab bi Zeit
✨ Vegetarian, bright with lemon and olive oil, stuffed with rice, tomato, parsley, and mint.
Only in Lebanon
- tomatoes, finely diced
- parsley
- mint
- lemons, juiced
🇸🇾 Yalanji
✨ Sweet-sour filling with pomegranate molasses, Aleppo pepper, and sometimes tiny currants.
Only in Syria
- pomegranate molasses
- Aleppo pepper
- tomatoes
- currants (optional)
🤝 Both use
- grape leaves
- short-grain rice
- onion, minced
- olive oil
🇱🇧 Lebanon
⏱ 120 minKnown here as: Warak Enab bi Zeit
The Lebanese oil-based version: lemony vegetarian rolls served at room temperature.
✨ What makes it special
Vegetarian, bright with lemon and olive oil, stuffed with rice, tomato, parsley, and mint.
🇸🇾 Syria
⏱ 120 minKnown here as: Yalanji
Aleppo's yalanji adds pomegranate molasses and a whisper of chili to the rice.
✨ What makes it special
Sweet-sour filling with pomegranate molasses, Aleppo pepper, and sometimes tiny currants.
🇪🇬 Egypt
⏱ 100 minEgyptian mahshi warak enab is fluffier with dill and often cooked in a rich tomato broth.
✨ What makes it special
Rice loosened with dill and cumin, simmered in tomato broth, served hot.