These Turkish Dumplings Are Served With Yogurt

When you think of dumplings, most often it's the Chinese steamed dim sum or the crisp Japanese gyoza (often mistaken for Chinese potstickers) that come to mind. Beyond the popular varieties, however, there exist hundreds of variations of dumplings around the world. Some, like the Brazilian Bolinhas de Carne and the Cantonese char siu bao, are stuffed with meat; India's samosas and empanadas popular in Latin America are typically fried; Chinese xiao long bao is filled with broth; and the Czech svestkove knedily and Japanese daifuku are a sweet version of the dumpling (via Insider).

Not only do dumplings exist in different forms with both sweet and savory fillings, but they're served and eaten alongside different accompaniments too. The Swedish Pitepalt, though filled with meat, is dipped in lingonberry jam and butter and the famous Italian ravioli is tossed in a cheesy sauce. Similarly, Turkey has its own little dumpling — the manti — which is typically served with not one or two, but three different sauces: garlic yogurt, brown butter, and a caramelized tomato sauce (via Panning The Globe).

Some claim that manti has been around since the 13th century when Turkish and Mongolian travelers depended on the dried or frozen dumplings that were boiled for sustenance on the road (via Ozlem's Turkish Table). Since then, different variations of the manti have become popular in Turkey, Armenia, and Kazakhstan (via Delighted Cooking).

Turkish manti is generally filled with meat — which is commonly lamb — or a mix of meat and spinach and can be served with tomato and yogurt sauces as well as herbs and chili flakes. Armenian manti has a crispier texture as it is tossed in butter and then cooked in a tomato sauce. Manti in Kazakhstan tends to be larger in size and is served with a dollop of butter instead of a sauce.

Manti, Panning The Globe points out, are labors of love. Not only is each dumpling wrapper typically rolled out and folded by hand, but the manti is then baked and boiled as well. This is why, being served small-sized manti is considered a sign of respect thanks to the painstaking labor that goes into making the meaty, garlic yogurt-topped parcels. In fact, legends claim that the best way to show a guest their importance through Turkish dumplings is to make the manti so tiny that a single spoon can accommodate up to 40 little parcels. So the next time you're in Turkey and are served microscopic little dumplings, know that you're an incredibly special guest!