knaidel

English

Knaidlach in a bowl of soup

Alternative forms

• knaidl, knaydl, kneidl, kneydl, knaydel, kneidel, kneydel

Etymology

Borrowed from Yiddish קניידל (kneydl), cognate to German Knödel (“dumpling”). Doublet of quenelle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkneɪdl̩/, /kəˈneɪdl̩/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Noun

knaidel (plural knaidels or knaidlach or knaidloch)

1. A type of dumpling made of matzo eaten by Ashkenazi Jews during Passover.
   • 1982, Bernard Harper Friedman, “Choosing a Name”, in Coming Close: A Novella and Three Stories as Alternative Autobiographies, page 168:

     There she tests the offending knaydl. Once again the golf ball scoots around the bowl.

   • 2000, Beth Hensperger, Fluffy Knaidlach: The Best Quick Breads, unnumbered page:

     What is real chicken soup without Jewish matzoh balls, also known as knaidlach, made from matzoh meal?

   • 2009, L. C. Tyler, Ten Little Herrings, unnumbered page:

     I checked the date on the receipt and it was only a few days beforehand – that is to say, Davidov had been in London immediately before coming to France. And paying cash for smoked salmon followed by mehren tzimmes with knaidel.

   • 2011, Phyllis Glazer, Miriyam Glazer, The Essential Book of Jewish Festival Cooking, page 21:

     Once asked on a radio show about the derivation of knaidlach, I explained that the original knaidlach were actually rock hard, and created by Azhkenazic housewives as a weapon of self-defence. […] The real origin of the knaidel, according to author John Cooper, is the south German Knödel, or dumpling—popular in German cuisine since the Middle Ages.

   • 2012, Jayne Cohen, Jewish Holiday Cooking, unnumbered page:

     If knaidl is dark in the center, ascertain whether this is the horseradish filling or an uncooked part. Don't overcook the knaidlach or they will fall apart.

   • 2012, Sue Boggio, Mare Pearl, A Growing Season, unnumbered page:

     Auntie Gussie would bring her tsimmes, sugared diced carrots baked with meat, and knaidel, a kind of matzo ball.

Synonyms

• (dumpling eaten at Passover): matzo ball

Further reading

• Matzah ball on Wikipedia.Wikipedia