Close your eyes and think of a dumpling you'd like to eat right now. Chances are, even the mere thought brought a slight upturn to the corners of your mouth and a gentle softening of your spirit. Dumplings, whether fried, boiled or steamed, are incorporated into a wide range of cuisines across the globe. It stands to reason, as this kind of food, no matter how it is prepared, can be a resourceful way to turn small bits of unused ingredients into satisfying and filling mouthfuls; there's something universally comforting and calming about their form, including, but not limited to, when soaked in a warm broth.
When choosing one comforting dumpling from the pool of Ashkenazi food traditions, the first that many think of is matzoh ball soup, or kneidlach, as it's often called in the UK. Though it can be eaten at any time of year, matzoh ball soup is a traditional soup served by Ashkenazi or Eastern European Jewish families during the Passover Seder to commence the eight-day celebration.
Matzoh balls, the term most used stateside, began life as knöedel, meaning 'dumpling' in German. They were created around the eleventh and twelfth centuries as a means to use up leftover bread and often eaten in soup by Germans, Austrians, and Alsatians – an area of France that formerly belonged to Germany. As these bready dumplings travelled to Poland, Russia and Lithuania, the dumplings began to change, much like the language used to name them. Kneidlach, the Yiddish version of knöedel, were sometimes made with meat inside, amongst other variations. As they continued their migration to the US, Manischewitz, a prominent kosher US company, began to sell kits to make the dumplings, originally under the name "feather balls Alsatian style", according to the research of Jewish cookbook author Joan Nathan. These 'feather balls' were formed by using a company-made product called matzoh meal. The kits coincided with the rise of other convenience foods in the US following the Great Depression and the Second World War, helping to cement their presence in American Jewish culture and their prevalence today.
Beyond matzoh balls, there is a wide range of dumplings and variations from the Jewish diaspora. Given the matzoh ball's origins, it makes sense that others from across Europe might be similar in form or function. Hungarian dumplings, known as griz galuska, are traditionally made into egg-like dumplings similar to a quenelle shape and served in soup or broth. Rather than breadcrumbs or matzoh meal, griz galuska are traditionally made with farina or semolina.