Grape Leaves

The plant

Vitis vinifera, the common grape vine, is a species of flowering plant native to the Mediterranean region, Central Europe and southwestern Asia. Its leaves are alternate, palmately lobed and deciduous, with three to five pointed lobes, coarsely prickly-toothed margins and a heart-shaped foot. They measure 5 to 20 cm (2 to 8 in) long and broad.

In the kitchen

Grape leaves may be obtained fresh, or preserved in jars or cans. The leaves are commonly rolled or stuffed with mixtures of meat and rice to produce dolma, often called sarma, which is found widely in the Mediterranean, Caucasus, Balkans and Middle East. When cut into smaller pieces they are used as a savory addition to soups that include greens and cabbage. Canned grape leaves (cooked, salted) are 76% water, 12% carbohydrates, 4% protein and 2% fat. A 100-gram reference amount of the canned leaves supplies 69 calories. In the Mediterranean Basin, leaves and young stems are traditionally used to feed sheep and goats after grapevine pruning.

Green leaf volatiles

Green leaf volatiles are a class of organic compounds released by plants. The class includes C6 aldehydes such as (Z)-3-hexenal and n-hexanal, and derivatives such as (Z)-3-hexenol and (Z)-3-hexen-1-yl acetate. In plants, cis-3-hexenal is formed from linolenic acid: a lipoxygenase first forms a hydroperoxide, and a hydroperoxide lyase then forms the hemiacetal, the precursor of the volatile C6 compound.

Terpenes in the leaves

Monoterpenoids, above all linalool, β-myrcene, geraniol and α-terpineol, are present in the leaves of muscat grapes in larger amounts than in the leaves of non-muscat grapes. The same difference is found in the fruit, but it is smaller in the leaves.

Related: Acronychia Pedunculata · Adoxal · Agave · Algae · Aloe Vera · Aromatic Notes · Asparagus · Avocado