I’m really enjoying this weekly challenge. I know I’ve done only seven countries so far, but I’ve trying new techniques and some great food. And it’s a good thing I still have a long way to go, because I don’t want to stop anytime soon.
So let’s get started with this week’s journey and a couple of new dishes from Armenia!
Country
Officially known as the Republic of Armenia, Armenia is a state located in Eurasia’s South Caucasus region.
Geographically, Armenia is in a confusing spot. The South Caucasus region, where Armenia lies, sits between the continents of Europe and Asia. But going by the strict geographical demarcations of the world, Europe ends at the Bosporus in Turkey and at the border with Georgia in the Caucasus Mountain range. Based on that, Armenia is geographically part of Asia.
Politically, Armenia has good relations with almost every nation in the world, regardless of continent, except for its immediate neighbors, Turkey and Azerbaijan. Since the collapse of the USSR, political ties between Armenia and Europe have intensified. As it stands, Armenia is a member of several international organizations, such as the Council of Europe, the World Trade Organization, the European Broadcasting Union, and others.
Currently, Armenia is a representative parliamentary democratic republic. The Armenian Constitution followed the model of a semi-presidential republic until April 2018.
According to the current Constitution of Armenia, the President is the head of state and holds largely representative functions, while the Prime Minister is the head of government and exercises executive power.
Cuisine
Armenian cuisine is one of those ancient food traditions that brings together flavors from the Caucasus, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East all at once. It’s built around fresh herbs, grilled meats, and hearty grains.
A lot of Armenian cooking involves stuffing, puréeing, or frothing. Lamb, eggplant, and lavash (an iconic flatbread) are widely used. Fresh herbs are a big deal—used frequently in dishes or served on the side—and during winter, dried herbs are used instead.
Wheat is the backbone of the cuisine, showing up in all kinds of forms like bulgur, semolina, whole wheat, and flour. Fruits also play a big role. They’re not just eaten fresh or dried, but also used to add sourness and depth—for example: pomegranate, sour cherries, sumac, plums, and even apricots.
Chosen Dish(es)
This week, after voting took place, the results came back with two winners: one savory dish and one sweet one.
For the main course, I prepared Manti. These are thumb-sized dumplings stuffed with ground meat, accompanied by a spicy tomato or red pepper sauce. What makes these dumplings special and different is that they’re not boiled, but baked instead.
And for dessert—and actually the first dessert I’m preparing in this challenge—I chose Gata, a sweet, egg-rich bread. The magic of gata lies in its gooey center, a melt-in-your-mouth “custard” made of flour, butter, sugar, and sometimes walnuts, encased in a brioche-like dough. Perfect for tea after a good hearty meal 😌.
Ingredients
Manti
For the Dough:
• 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour, or more as needed
• 1 large egg
• 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons water, or as needed
For the Filling:
• ½ pound ground beef
• ¼ cup finely diced onion
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
For the Broth:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• 2 cups chicken or beef broth
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Cayenne pepper, to taste
⸻
Gata
For the Dough:
• ¼ cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• ½ cup sour cream, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons granulated (or caster) sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 3 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into small pieces
For the Filling:
• ¾ cup plain all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into small pieces
• ½ cup granulated (or caster) sugar
Getting Ready
For the manti filling, I decided to go with ground beef, but honestly, any type of ground meat works—even plant-based alternatives—and it can be seasoned to suit your taste.
As for the gata, it’s a simple recipe, but it takes time because the dough needs a long rest. Different recipes vary, but the general consensus is that it should chill for at least 6 hours at minimum, and up to overnight.
The recipe I followed suggests letting it rest for at least 8 hours, but recommends overnight. So the move here is to prepare the dough the night before, then make the filling and bake the next day. In the directions, this happens at step 6—so watch out for that.
Prerequisites
Technically, there are no prerequisites for this recipe—unless you decide to let the gata dough rest overnight.
If that’s the case, then follow gata steps 1 through 6 the night before. In my case, I prepared the dough at 7:30 pm, let it rest overnight, and even part of the next day.
I honestly don’t know what difference it makes letting it rest a couple of hours versus overnight, but if that’s the Armenian way, I’m not questioning it—I’m just doing it.
Preparation
Manti
1. Combine 3/4 of the flour, egg, olive oil, salt, and water in a bowl.
2. Mix with a fork (like when making pasta dough) until everything just comes together. Then use your hands to form a shaggy dough. Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, adding more flour as needed. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
3. While the dough rests, combine the ground beef, onion, parsley, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a bowl. Mix with a fork first, then use your hands until well combined. Cover and chill in the refrigerator.
4. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and grease a cast-iron skillet with olive oil.
5. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a large, thin rectangle. Cut into strips, then into about 20 small rectangles (roughly 3.5 × 4.5 cm / 1.5 × 1.75 inches). Save any scraps in case you have extra filling.
6. Add about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of filling to the center of each rectangle.
7. Lightly moisten the shorter edges with water, then pinch the ends together to trap the filling, forming the classic “little man in the boat” shape. Make sure they can stand upright and the dough at the ends is thin.
8. Place the manti in the skillet, leaving a bit of space between them—they’ll expand while baking.
9. Bake on the center rack for 40 minutes.
10. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Cook the garlic until fragrant (20–30 seconds), then add the tomato sauce and stir. Add the broth and season with salt, pepper, and cayenne.
11. Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat.
12. Pour the tomato broth over the manti and return to the oven for another 15 minutes.
Gata
1. Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it reaches about 40°C (102°F). Pour into a bowl and whisk in the yeast until dissolved. Let sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy.
2. Add the sour cream, sugar, and egg. Whisk until combined and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the butter and use your fingertips to break it into pea-sized pieces.
4. Make a well and pour in the wet mixture. Mix with a spoon or spatula until combined—it will be slightly sticky. Turn onto a clean surface and knead just until it comes together into a smooth ball.
5. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1.5–2 hours, or until about 50% larger.
6. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Next day:
7. In a bowl, whisk together the flour and salt for the filling. Add butter and work it into small crumbs, then mix in the sugar. Set aside.
8. Roll the dough into a 40 × 30 cm (16 × 12 in) rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
9. Spread the filling evenly, leaving a small border on one long side. Roll into a log from the long side.
10. Seal the seam, place seam-side down, gently flatten, and chill for 15–20 minutes.
11. Slice into 8 pieces and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and proof at room temperature for about 1 hour, until slightly puffed.
12. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Mix one egg with 1 tablespoon of milk and brush over each piece.
13. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack before serving.
The Result
Well, my manti didn’t exactly look like the pictures on the internet… but my gata did. Either way, both dishes exceeded my expectations in terms of flavor.
Let’s start with the manti.
Looks weren’t exactly their strong point. I expected them to puff up a lot more, and the baking dish I used was too big. On top of that, I thought I’d be making more, but I ended up with way more filling than dough, so I couldn’t make a nice circular pattern or have them all neatly side by side.
But hey—looks aren’t everything. And thankfully so, because they were incredibly delicious and packed with flavor. Since they’re small, I could just keep eating them one after another like a snack. But don’t let their size fool you—because it’s meat and dough, they’re surprisingly filling.
I also expected them to be a bit complicated to prepare, but I was wrong again. They’re actually pretty easy to assemble. And since all the cooking happens in the oven, the most time-consuming part is just filling and folding each piece—which, honestly, doesn’t take that long.
And one more thing: don’t underestimate the sauce. It’s simple, but it really enhances the flavor of the meat and keeps the dish from feeling dry.
This one quickly climbed into the top spots for both me and my girlfriend.
As for the gata, it was also a really nice surprise. Before starting this challenge, I used to make more desserts and bake more than I cooked savory dishes, so I had a general idea of what to expect with dough… but I had never made something with a gooey center.
The process felt new—and honestly a bit weird. I even thought I was doing something wrong because it seemed too easy (😆), and I was preparing for the worst. But the center turned out exactly how it should: gooey and delicious.
What I really liked is that it’s sweet enough to clearly be a dessert, but not overly sugary. I’d describe it as discreetly sweet.
Also, quick tip if you decide to make it: the recipe I followed says to cut the butter into pieces and pinch it down to pea size, but other recipes recommend grating the butter instead—and it works great. If you look at my pictures, you’ll see I went with grated butter. Best move ever 😉
What Did I Learn
Will I get to a recipe where I don’t learn anything? Maybe. Time will tell. But this is not that one.
One of the biggest things I’m learning during this challenge is how important it is to stay organized—organizing my steps, ingredients, utensils, the kitchen before and after, and in this case, my timing. And honestly, it all comes down to reading the recipe carefully ahead of time… ideally a couple of days in advance.
Why do I say this? I knew the gata dough needed a long chill time, and I had already decided to go with the overnight option. So I was fully prepared to make the dough the day before.
But because I only skimmed the recipe, I completely missed that step 5 requires the dough to rest for about 2 hours before going into the fridge. So instead of being done by 9 pm, I ended up putting the dough in the fridge at 11 pm—tired and just waiting to finish that step.
So yeah… lesson learned. Read and understand the recipe beforehand so I know what I need to do, what I need to buy or prep, and how long everything will take. That way, no surprises.
With another country complete, it’s time to head down under and explore our fifth continent and ninth country: Australia!
I missed last week, which means I’m already running behind! But fear not because I’m back to put things back on track and continue our culinary journey, back to Europe. This time, we travel to a small territory tucked between Spain and France to discover: Andorra!
The clock keeps ticking, and it’s time to continue with the second country on the list; we now go from the Middle East to Southeast Europe: let’s explore Albania!
