Matzah ball facts for kids
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| Alternative names | Kneieydl, knaidel or kneidel in singular. Kneydlech, knaidelech or kneidelech, or knaidlach in plural. |
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| Type | Dumpling |
| Region or state | Ashkenazi Jewish areas of Central and Eastern Europe, with extensive history and cultural significance in Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Israel and the Jewish Diaspora |
| Serving temperature | Temperature at which broth simmers |
| Main ingredients | Matzah meal, egg, water, oil or schmaltz or margarine |
Matzah balls are a type of dumpling often found in Jewish cooking. They are also called kneydlekh in Yiddish. These tasty balls are made from a mix of matzah meal (which is like flour made from unleavened bread), eggs, water, and a type of fat like oil or chicken fat.
Matzah balls are usually served in chicken soup. They are a very important food during the Jewish holiday of Passover. However, some people who follow a special rule called gebrochts do not eat them during Passover.
The way matzah balls feel when you eat them can be different. Some recipes make them light and fluffy, so they float in the soup. Other recipes make them more solid and dense, causing them to sink.
Contents
The History of Matzah Balls
The exact beginning of matzah balls and the soup they come in is not fully known. Some historians think that a lot of matzah meal was made during the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s. This might have led people to use it to make these dumplings. Others believe that Jewish people used leftover crumbs from baking matzah to add to their soup.
It is thought that Jewish people started putting matzah balls in their soup as Eastern European cuisine began using dumplings in their traditional dishes. Jewish cooks then changed these recipes to fit their own food rules and tastes. Jewish people from Germany, Austria, and Alsace were among the first to make matzah balls for their soup. Jewish communities in the Middle East later added their own versions. One of the earliest recipes for matzah ball soup, made with beef broth, can be found in a cookbook from 1846 called The Jewish manual, or, Practical information in Jewish and modern cookery.
How to Make Matzah Balls
A special kind of chicken fat called Schmaltz gives matzah balls a unique flavor. However, many people today prefer to use vegetable oils or margarine instead. Using butter is not allowed if the matzah balls are eaten with chicken soup. This is because Jewish food laws, called kashrut, say that milk and meat products should not be eaten together.
To cook them, the matzah balls are gently placed into a pot of salted boiling water or chicken soup. Then, the heat is turned down to a gentle simmer, and a lid is put on the pot. The matzah balls will get bigger as they cook for about 20 to 30 minutes. Some people add a little bit of kosher baking powder to make them lighter. This is allowed, even for Passover.
While making matzah balls from scratch is simple, you can also buy ready-made mixes. These mixes usually just need to be added to beaten eggs.
Amazing Matzah Ball Records
People have set some interesting records with matzah balls!
In 2008, a famous eater named Joey Chestnut set a world record. He ate 78 matzah balls, each weighing about 3.5 ounces, in just 8 minutes! This happened at a charity event called the Inaugural World Matzoh Ball Eating Championship.
In 2010, the world's largest matzah ball was made by Chef Jon Wirtis. He worked at Shlomo and Vito's New York City Delicatessen in Tucson, Arizona. His giant matzah ball weighed an incredible 426 pounds! It was made for New York's Jewish Food Festival. To make it, he used 125 pounds of matzah meal, 25 pounds of schmaltz, over 1,000 eggs, and 20 pounds of potato starch.
This huge matzah ball broke the previous record. That record was held by Chef Anthony Sylvestri, who made a 267-pound matzah ball. It was 29.2 inches long and was made from 1,000 eggs, 80 pounds of margarine, 200 pounds of matzah meal, and 20 pounds of chicken base. He made it to help raise awareness for a charity basketball game.
Images for kids
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A bowl of matzah ball soup.
See also
In Spanish: Bolas de matzah para niños
