By Aida Zilelian
LONG ISLAND, N.Y. — It seems dreams — especially those of manti, at least — can come true.
“Something I dreamt about for the last 35 years is finally coming to fruition,” said Hilda Apikoglu. She is the owner of Medz-Mom’s Manti, a family-owned enterprise Hilda and her daughters, Janine and Najda, always talked about.
“Life got in the way,” said Hilda, “but I always hoped there would come a time when my daughters and I could make traditional manti accessible for mass distribution.”
I became acquainted with the family several months ago at Holy Martyrs Armenian Language School in Queens, NY when the school was preparing to host their annual Manti Night. It is a much-anticipated event that has been part of the community for decades, and tickets sell out quickly. Hilda and her daughters donated 160 pounds of manti for the evening and as expected, it was very well-received.
Hilda’s manti venture is not her first foray as a business owner. For more than two decades, she was the president and owner of the textile business company Trimland. “It’s in the Apikoglu blood,” she says. “My life’s work prepared me for this.”