A visit to a friend in Belgrade turned into a full-blown mystery for one Croatian visitor. After trying "sarmice sa zeljem" which she found "quite delicious," the guest from Zagreb was left completely baffled by the vegetable in question.

When asked what plant the dish was made from, she received a response that did not clarify anything: "From zelje, it can be bought at any market." Upon returning home, she attempted to make sarmice on her own but hit a wall.

"In Zagreb, when we talk about 'zelje,' we usually mean cabbage. If you Google 'zelje for sarmice,' you always get pickled cabbage," she wrote, deciding to seek help online.

"It looks like beetroot, but it's not beetroot. It's not sorrel, and it's not spinach," she complained on the internet, desperately seeking a solution to the puzzle.

Her online searches were unhelpful, so she had to resort to the "heavy artillery," the Latin name, to finally purchase the seeds and make the dish at home. Her query was clear: "Does anyone know the Latin name of this 'zelje for sarmice' so I can buy the seeds and make the dish myself?"

For all the bewildered neighbors: the mysterious plant is Rumex patientia. In Serbia, it is known as zelje, in Croatia as cabbage, and in the stomach, it is certainly perfect.

(Telegraf.rs)