Dumplings

Saudi Arabia

Manto in Saudi Arabia is a popular steamed dumpling dish that originates from Central Asia and the Middle East. Traditionally made by wrapping spiced ground meat (typically lamb or beef) with onions in thin dough, these dumplings are then steamed until tender. While the basic preparation remains consistent, the flavor of manto varies slightly by region. In Saudi Arabia, particularly in the western city of Madinah, manto has become especially popular since the 1960s and is frequently enjoyed with garlic yogurt sauce or a spicy tomato-based sauce to enhance its flavors. Today, it&rsquo;s a beloved dish served in many restaurants, reflecting a fusion of Saudi and Central Asian culinary traditions. This dish is often enjoyed at family gatherings and festive occasion.

Manto

Italy

Marubini is a traditional stuffed pasta dish origianting from Cremona in Lombardy. The pasta dough is made with flour and eggs. It is shaped into little scalloped rounds, similar to ravioli, which are filled either with breadcrumbs, melted beef marrow, parmesan, and eggs, or with a combination of beef marrow, parmesan, and braised beef, roast pork, or veal, but every cook has their own version of the filling. Once stuffed, the marubini are traditionally cooked in a rich meat stock. They are drained and dressed with a mixture of melted butter and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Marubini

Mezzelune or schlutzkrapfen is a unique pasta variety that is popular both in Italy and Austria, especially in the area of South Tyrol. The pasta has a semicircular shape, which is the reason why it is called mezzelune (half moons in Italian). The dough is typically made from wheat and buckwheat flour, semolina, eggs, and olive oil. The pasta is stuffed with various ingredients, just like ravioli. Common fillings include ingredients such as cheese, mushrooms, potatoes, meat, or spinach. Mezzelune are often served with sauces such as pesto and paired with seafood, sausages (salsiccia), or fresh vegetables such as cherry tomatoes.

Mezzelune

Traditionally prepared by the indigenous people of Taiwan, millet qinafu is a sticky cake or dumpling consisting of millet (usually glutinous foxtail millet) and pork or boar meat, which is typically boiled or steamed in a leaf. Shell ginger leaves have been most commonly used for the wrapping, but other types of leaves can also be used, such as bamboo, talibaw (Macaranga tanarius), taro, banana, liavilu (Nicandra physalodes), or alabolro (Trichodesma khasianum) leaves. Some variations of the dish call for using a different type of starch instead of millet, such as taro flour, sticky rice, sorghum, or even bananas. In Taiwan, millet qinafu has been traditionally prepared on special occasions such as weddings, naming ceremonies, funerals, and harvest festivals. Versions of this dish have been made by the Paiwan, Puyuma, and Rukai people.

Millet Qinafu

Austria

Mohnnudeln is a sweet main dish composed of thick potato dumplings and ground poppy seeds, doused with melted butter and dusted with sugar. The place of origin is Waldviertel, and given that this part of Lower Austria has traditionally been known for its production of poppy seeds, the dish in question is also alternatively referred to as Waldviertler mohnnudeln.

Mohnnudeln

India

Muthia is an Indian dumpling or a fritter consisting of chickpea flour, turmeric, chili powder, fenugreek, and salt. Sometimes, the combination is additionally bonded together with oil, or sweetened with sugar. Once shaped, muthia can be either fried or steamed, depending on personal preferences. Although this is a Gujarati staple, there are many varieties of muthia, made with spinach, cabbage, or gourds. Whether steamed or fried, muthia is typically garnished with mustard seeds, sesame seeds, and chopped coriander.

Muthia

Nikuman are Japanese-style steamed pork buns which were influenced by the traditional Chinese baozi. They consists of leavened wheat dough wrapped around a flavorful ground pork filling. The meat is combined with different vegetables and usually seasoned with soy sauce and various condiments and spices. The soft, warm, and juicy nikuman buns are mostly enjoyed in wintertime as a popular and comforting street food. They are available in many Chinese restaurants and numerous grocery stores throughout the country.

Nikuman

Croatia

Njoki s bo&scaron;karinom is a traditional dish originating from Istria. The star of the dish is bo&scaron;karin &ndash; Istrian long-horned cattle that has almost disappeared in the past, but nowadays it&rsquo;s saved due to the intervention from the Fedration of Istrian Cattle Breeders. The dish is usually made with a combination of gnocchi, bo&scaron;karin meat, onions, garlic, tomatoes, red wine (preferably Teran), flour, olive oil, bay leaves, marjoram, salt, and black pepper. First, the meat is cut into smaller pieces, rubbed with oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, and browned in a pan. It&rsquo;s then dusted with flour and cooked with saut&eacute;ed onions and garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, marjoram, and red wine. Once the sauce thickens, the dish is served with cooked gnocchi.

Njoki s boškarinom

Sweden

The name palt refers to different varieties of popular Swedish dumplings that are created with grated raw potatoes and various fillings. They are usually associated with the north of Sweden and are commonly referred to as pitepalt, after the city of Pite&aring;, where they are a traditional specialty. The dough often incorporates rye, barley, or wheat flour, and the most common filling is a mixture of saut&eacute;ed onions and fried bacon. It is said there are as many palt varieties as there are villages in Sweden, and one of the most intriguing varieties is called blodpalt, which incorporates animal blood. The dumplings are usually served doused in melted butter, plain or sour cream, lingonberry jam, b&eacute;chamel sauce, or milk. The boiled potatoes version is more common in the southern parts of the country, where it is known under the name korppkakor.

Palt

Golden, tender, and warm papa rellenas are traditional Peruvian stuffed potatoes, a type of croquette consisting of fried mashed potatoes with a meat filling on the interior. The filling usually consists of chopped beef that is mixed with onions and cumin. In Peru, the typical accompaniment to papa rellena is salsa Criolla (hot Creole sauce). The dish is popular as a street food, but it is also served at restaurants and prepared at home. A popular theory suggests that the dish was invented in 1879, in the height of the War of the Pacific by Peruvian soldiers who needed durable, pre-made food, so they would cook the meat, season it, and place it into the hollowed potatoes, which were later fried and wrapped in cloths. As the soldiers returned home, the dish was popularized by their families who would add their own touch to the basic recipe. Today, the dish is no longer reserved for Peruvians, ever since the biggest chefs of Peru have promoted it throughout the world.

Papa rellena

Passatelli in brodo is a specialty dish of the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy, consisting of a meat broth filled with dumplings made from cheese, bread, and eggs. This hearty soup belongs to the cucina povera (cuisine of the poor), when people used to invent new dishes with what little ingredients they had at the time. It is recommended to pair the soup with a simple red wine such as Sangiovese.

Passatelli in brodo

Russia

Pelmeni is one of Russia's national dishes, a small dumpling with a delicately thin dough, filled with anything from ground meat or fish to mushrooms. The fillings can be mild or very spicy, depending on the amount of seasonings such as various fresh herbs, black pepper, and onions. Pelmeni dumplings are served in almost every Russian restaurant, as well as in numerous Russian homes where each family has their own recipe for the dish.

Pelmeni

Pelmeni s gribami is a traditional dish consisting of dumplings filled with mushrooms. For the perfect filling, mushrooms should be soaked in water overnight, and then cooked and saut&eacute;ed with fried onions. They can also be combined with rice or mashed potatoes. Pelmeni s gribami can be paired with broth, sour cream, yogurt, or grated cheese.

Pelmeni s gribami

These stuffed dumplings derived their name from the Polish word for filled dumpling: pier&oacute;g. This former peasant food evolved into one of Poland's favorite dishes. Every family has their own version of pierogi filling, and the ingredients that can be used are limited only by the imagination of the chef. Pierogi can be sweet, savory, or spicy, and the most common fillings include cheese, onions, ground meat, mushrooms, potatoes, and sauerkraut. The sweet versions commonly include various berries, such as strawberries or blueberries. Traditionally, these dumplings are served as the 12th course of a traditional Polish Christmas Eve dinner. As the entire meal must be meatless, the filling usually consists of mushrooms, cabbage, and sauerkraut. Although pierogi have been made since the 13th century, it is not known where they were originally created&mdash;the Poles, Romanians, Russians, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, and Slovaks all claim they should be credited as the inventors of the pierogi. Others claim that it was brought to the West by the Tatars, and some say that the original pierogi traveled from China and reached Europe through Italy. Despite all this uncertainty, one fact is indisputable&mdash;the word pierogi first appeared in print in the second half of the 17th century. Today, pierogi are extremely popular throughout the country, and can be found in numerous pierogarnia eateries on Polish street corners. Poland also celebrates National Pierogi Day every year on October 8th, while the city of Krak&oacute;w boasts its own annual Pierogi Festival held on August 17th.

Pierogi

This simple, rustic dish hails from Piacenza and is prepared with merely a few humble ingredients. Namely, the word pisarei denotes tiny dumplings made with flour and breadcrumbs, whereas fas&ograve; is a thick tomato flavored sauce made with a base of onions, lard, and mashed borlotti beans. Though it was once a staple of cucina povera, pisarei e fas&ograve; is today often elevated to a hearty meal by adding salsiccia lucanica pork sausage to the bean-based sauce along with generous amounts of grated parmesan on top.

Pisarei e fasò

Pist&ugrave;m is a traditional dish originating from Pordenone in Friuli-Venezia-Giulia. These sweet dumplings are made with a combination of stale bread, candied citrus, pine nuts, eggs, cinnamon, butter, sugar, raisins, and aromatic herbs such as thyme and marjoram. The dumplings are formed into elongated shapes and they're traditionally cooked in meat broth, picked up with a perforated ladle, drained, then sprinkled with icing sugar on top. Pist&ugrave;m is always served hot and without the broth. The dish is typically prepared at Easter and weddings in the area. It's important to note that in Val Tramontina, pist&ugrave;m refers to a thick soup made with turnip greens and polenta.

Pistùm

Pitha is a large group of bread and cakes that are popular throughout Bangladesh and India. The most common base for pitha is rice flour, although wheat or corn flour can also be used. Most varieties of pitha are prepared as small cookies or dumplings that are filled with spices, nuts, or different vegetables, in either sweet or savory versions. The simplest versions of pitha are filled with jaggery and coconut, while the more complex ones usually include cheese, lentils, and vegetables in the filling. In Bangladesh, pithas are usually reserved for special occasions - family celebrations, weddings, and harvest festivals such as Nabanna and Poush Parban. They are also often consumed as an afternoon snack, paired with a cup of tea.

Pitha

United States

Originally brought to the Pennsylvanian region by immigrants from Eastern Europe, pierogies have become a unique staple dish, both in the city of Pittsburgh and all over Western Pennsylvania. Pierogies are soft, semicircular dumplings that are traditionally filled with potatoes or cheese, but the number of fillings is virtually countless and limited only by imagination. In Poland, pierogies have been made since the 13th century, and they had been brought to the United States during the late 19th and the early 20th century, when Pittsburgh experienced a population boom during the Great Migration. As pierogies are inexpensive and portable, they were a common meal in the lunch boxes of numerous mill workers during the Industrial Age. Today, the dish is served both in upscale restaurants and in the kitchens of Polish descendants throughout the region. Their popularity even gave birth to the Great Pierogie Race (a mascot race of six contestants in giant pierogie costumes) during the baseball game of the local sports team called the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pittsburgh Pierogies

Piz&ouml;car is a traditional type of dumpling from the Valtellina region of northern Italy, celebrated for its Alpine culinary heritage. Made primarily with buckwheat flour, a staple ingredient in the region, the dumplings have a distinct nutty flavor and dense texture. They are typically small, hand-rolled, and rustic in appearance. Piz&ouml;car is boiled until tender and often served with melted butter, garlic, sage, and local cheeses such as bitto or casera, which are signature to Valtellina cuisine. Seasonal greens like chard, spinach, or cabbage are sometimes added to the dish, giving it a hearty and satisfying character. Piz&ouml;car differs from pizzoccheri, which is a flat, tagliatelle-like pasta dish, by its shape and texture while maintaining the same earthy flavors. It is a comforting dish typically enjoyed with Valtellina wines, such as Sforzato or Valtellina Superiore.

Pizöcar

Canada

Poutine r&acirc;p&eacute;e is a traditional Acadian dish consisting of a boiled potato dumpling that is stuffed with salted pork. The dumplings can be made from grated or mashed potatoes, and they typically have a greyish color and bland flavor. There are a few ways to consume these dumplings: plain, sprinkled with pepper, white sugar, brown sugar, or even molasses. The dish is usually prepared for special and festive occasions such as Christmas.