Knödel

Etymology

The word Knödel is German and derives from the Latin word nōdus ("knot"). Through the Old High German chnodo and the Middle High German knode it finally changed to the modern expression. Knödel in Hungary are called gombóc or knédli; in Slovenia, knedl(j)i or (less specifically) cmoki; in the Czech Republic, knedlíky (singular knedlík); in Slovakia, knedle (singular knedľa); in Luxembourg, Kniddel(en); in Bosnia, Croatia, Poland and Serbia, knedle; in Bukovina, cnigle; and, in Italy, canederli. In some regions of the United States, klub is used to refer specifically to potato dumplings. A similar dish is known in Sweden (kroppkakor or pitepalt) and in Norway (raspeball or komle), filled with salty meat; and in Canada (poutine râpée).

Varieties

Knödel are used in various dishes in Austrian, German, and Czech cuisine. From these regions, Knödel spread throughout Europe.

• Leberknödel are large dumplings made of ground liver and a batter made of bread soaked in milk and seasoned with nutmeg or other spices, boiled in beef stock and served as a soup.
• Klöße are also large dumplings, steamed or boiled in hot water, made of dough from grated raw or mashed potatoes, eggs and flour. Similar semolina crack dumplings are made with semolina, egg and butter called Grießklößchen (Austrian Grießnockerl, Hungarian grízgaluska)
• Bread dumplings (Semmelknödel) are made with dried white bread, milk and egg yolks (are sometimes shaped like a loaf of bread, and boiled in a napkin, in which case they are known as napkin dumplings or Serviettenknödel). If bacon is added they are called Speckknödel. Thüringer Klöße are made from raw or boiled potatoes, or a mixture of both, and are often filled with croutons or ham.
• Plum dumplings (German: Zwetschgenknödel, Slavic: knedle), popular over Central Europe, are large sweet dumplings made with flour and potato batter, by wrapping the potato dough around whole plums (or apricots), boiled and rolled in hot buttered caramelized bread crumbs.
• Dumplings made with quark cheese (German: Topfenknödel, Hungarian: túrógombóc), traditionally topped with cinnamon sugar and served with apple sauce or with streusel.
• In Brazil, German immigrants traditionally make Klöße with white rice, wheat flour and eggs, mixing them into a sturdy dough, shaping them in dumplings and boiling them.
• Königsberger Klopse are, unlike regular dumplings, made from ground meat and are related to Frikadeller.
• Matzah balls could be considered Knödel made from matzah meal. The Yiddish word for Matzah balls, קניידל (kneydl), is cognate to Knödel. Matzah balls originated among Ashkenazi Jewish groups in Eastern or Central Europe.
• Lithuanian Cepelinai.
• Polish Knedle.
• Marillenknödel apricot dumplings in Austrian cuisine
• Germknödel filled with spiced powidl, topped with sugar, poppy seeds and butter