Manti is a type of dumpling made with unleavened pastry dough and filled with minced lamb or beef.  It can be prepared a number of ways, which I will cover in future posts.  This recipe for phyllo dough roses, or rosettes, is meant to mimic the experience of savoring manti without all the hustle and bustle of making it.  But why roses one might ask?  Because rolls are not pretty enough!

According to some researchers, manti first reached Cilician Armenia as a result of the cultural interaction between Armenians and Mongols during their alliance in the 13th century.  However, some researchers do not discount the possibility that manti may have originated in the Mid East and spread eastward to Korea and China through the Silk Road (source).