Knödel (pronounced [ˈknøːdl̩] (About this soundlisten); sing. and pl.) or Klöße (pronounced [ˈkløːsə] (About this soundlisten); sing.Kloß) are boiled dumplings[1] commonly found in Central European and East European cuisine. Central European countries in which their variant of Knödel is popular include Austria, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. They are also found in Scandinavian, Romanian, North-eastern Italian cuisine, Ukrainian and Belarusian cuisines. Usually made from flour, bread[1] or potatoes,[1] they are often served as a side dish, but can also be a dessert such as plum dumplings, or even meat balls in soup. Many varieties and variations exist.

Alternative namessee below
Region or stateCentral Europe
Main ingredientsPotatoes or bread or flour
VariationsSee list


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.[2] 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 [kaˈneːderli]. In some regions of the United States,[citation needed] 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 (poutines râpées).


Meat with Czech dumplings (knedlíky)


  • 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.[4][5]
  • Dumplings made with quark cheese (German: Topfenknödel, Hungarian: túrógombóc), traditionally topped with cinnamon sugar and served with apple sauce or with streusel.
  • Königsberger Klopse are, unlike regular dumplings, made from ground meat and are related to Frikadeller.
  • Matzah balls could be considered Knödels 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.


See alsoEdit


  2. ^ Birgit Klackl-Salletmaier (January 2013). "Knödelheimat Österreich". Epikur. Journal für Gastrosophie (in German). Retrieved 22 November 2015.

Further readingEdit

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