The smallest manti

Maida manti is the most popular vegetarian dish in Osh cuisine. In the past, they were called “Chychkan-manti” (or “mouse-manti”) because of their small size. Another common name was “eki tyiyn manti,” a reference to their Soviet-era price of 2 kopecks apiece. Today, of all the names, only “maida manti” remains.

Maida manti is a dish made of small thin pieces of dough, always filled with mashed potatoes, resembling dumplings. They are steamed in a manti pot, with a cooking time of only 15-20 minutes. Once cooked, manti stick together, so the pieces are rubbed with cooking oil, often cottonseed oil, to separate them. Maida manti are served with paper-thin sliced onions, liberally seasoned with red chili pepper powder.

Maida manti can be bought in the Osh cafes that line Kurmanjan Datka Street in the direction of the new bus station, as well as in the old bazaar. The iconic place where maida manti are still sold in traditional enamel basins (known as “togora” or “dagara”), carefully wrapped in oilcloth to keep warm, is the mini-pavilion “Timur-Palvan” opposite the main entrance to the old bazaar. There are women sitting here who have been selling maida manti piece by piece since early morning. Nearby, other women are ready to offer hot tea or coffee with cream. When you buy manti, they will be deftly counted and packed in a plastic bag, the modern version of wrapping them in pages of old books or newspapers.

The fundamental difference from similar dishes is that maida manti are steamed, not boiled. They are an important part of Osh’s gastronomic history and used to be sold in all city bazaars and parks during festivals. Today, maida manti remain on offer in only a few locations, but are well worth trying!