A decision without debate
On December 6, 2017, in the Republic of Korea, the Intergovernmental Committee of UNESCO examined the candidacy presented by Azerbaijan.
Its title avoids any national adjectives: “The tradition of preparing and sharing dolma, marker of cultural identity”.
No amendments are tabled. The chairman of the session does not open a debate and the decision is adopted. The Armenian delegation then requests that its position be included in the minutes: it dissociates itself from the text, contests certain elements of the file and regrets that a practice which it considers to be widely shared did not give rise to a joint candidacy. The Azerbaijani delegation then thanks the Committee.
The decision describes a set of skills practiced in Azerbaijan: meat, onions, rice, peas and spices are wrapped in leaves or placed in fruits and vegetables. She cites parties, weddings, hospitality and collective work, carried out mainly by women.
UNESCO has registered a tradition as practiced in Azerbaijan, not a deed of ownership to the dolma.
Fill or roll up
The dispute is partly concentrated in the name: In Armenia, tolma is written with a “t”.
Armenian authors link it to a Urartian term associated with the vine. In 2024, this interpretation was included in the official sheet which accompanies the entry of “the culture of the preparation and use of tolma” on the national list of intangible heritage.
In Azerbaijan, dolma is related to the Turkic verb meaning “to fill”. This is also the etymology retained by the UNESCO decision. In 2011, President Ilham Aliyev had already made the meaning of the word an argument of belonging, in a speech where he linked cuisine to territorial conflict.
Lexicographical references consulted outside the two countries also connect the word dolma to Turkish.
This etymology, however, is not enough to establish the exclusive origin of a culinary technique. A name can travel, change pronunciation and apply to older preparations or already present elsewhere.
Two living heritages
The 2024 Armenian record describes a dish prepared in all regions of the country, mainly by women. She distinguishes meat tolmas from Lenten versions, garnished with beans, lentils, chickpeas, bulgur or rice. She also mentions Etchmiadzine tolma, with eggplant, tomatoes and peppers, as well as recipes with apples and quince.
The Azerbaijani file also presents a family of preparations rather than a single recipe. Vine leaves, cabbage, sorrel, hornbeam or quince can be stuffed. Eggplants, peppers and tomatoes form the üç bacı, the “three sisters”. There are also vegetarian versions, referred to as yalançı dolma, the “lying dolma”.
On both sides, the rows must remain tight in the pot. The leaf is chosen young and supple. The dish is frequently accompanied by garlic yogurt. These similarities tell a story of regional circulations as much as national traditions.
What UNESCO does not decide
The UNESCO rule is explicit: an inscription on its lists establishes neither origin, nor exclusive ownership, nor intellectual property rights. As early as 2017, the Committee recalled that its lists should not function as geographical indications or certificates of authenticity.
This precaution did not prevent national readings. In Armenia, the press insisted on the absence of property rights. In Azerbaijan, publications presented the inscription as recognition of a national tradition and the Turkic etymology of the name.
The text adopted in Jeju, however, contained a rarely cited invitation: Azerbaijan was encouraged to share its safeguarding experience with other States possessing similar elements.
The dolma in fact exceeds both countries. The Encyclopaedia Iranica has recorded Persian versions since the 17th century. Leaves, cabbages, stuffed fruits and vegetables also belong to the cuisines of Türkiye, the Balkans, the Levant and other regions of the Caucasus. In this culinary geography, the vine leaf does not follow borders. It folds around the stuffing and preserves, in each family, a different way of closing the package.
Documentary sources
- UNESCO, “Decision of the Intergovernmental Committee 12.COM 11.B.3”, December 6, 2017.
- UNESCO, “The tradition of preparing and sharing the dolma, marker of cultural identity”, file no. 01188.
- UNESCO, minutes of the 12th session, paragraphs 621 to 627, 2017-2018.
- UNESCO, general decision 12.COM 11, 2017.
- Government of the Republic of Armenia, national list of intangible cultural heritage, element No. 64, addition adopted on October 31, 2024.
- Presidency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, speech by Ilham Aliyev to the National Academy of Sciences, April 26, 2011.
- Mohammad Reza Ghanoonparvar, “Dolma”, Encyclopaedia Iranica, 1995, updated 2013.
- Academy of Athens, entry “ντολμάς” in the historical dictionary of Cappadocian dialects, updated August 8, 2025.
- Armenpress, “Decision to include Dolma making and sharing tradition into UNESCO list does not assume ownership”, December 6, 2017.
