ADishIndependent states
Kayseri mantı
Tiny meat-filled dumplings topped with garlic yoghurt and sizzling butter; in Kayseri they say forty should fit on one spoon.

Mantı is shared by the Turkic peoples: in Central Asia large steamed manty are made, in Anatolia small boiled mantı. Kayseri mantı is the tiniest and most famous.
Thin dough is cut into small squares, each filled with a little mince and pinched closed at the four corners. The dumplings are boiled and topped with garlic yoghurt, then butter with red pepper flakes and dried mint.
In Kayseri tradition a bride's skill was judged by how small she made her mantı. Today the dish is a favourite at home and in restaurants across Türkiye.
Sources
Updated: October 2, 2026







