Oatmeal ball facts for kids
Oatmeal balls rolled in shredded coconut
|
|
| Place of origin | Sweden |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Oatmeal, sugar, coffee, cocoa, butter |
The oatmeal ball (Danish: havregrynskugle) or the chocolate ball (Swedish: chokladboll) is a super popular sweet treat from Denmark and Sweden. It's a type of pastry that you don't even need to bake!
Oatmeal balls are made from simple ingredients like oatmeal, sugar, cocoa, and butter. Sometimes, a little bit of coffee or vanilla sugar is added for extra flavor. All these ingredients are mixed together until they form a thick, compact dough. To make them extra creamy, some people even add a splash of cream.
Once the dough is ready, small balls are shaped by hand. They are usually a bit smaller than a golf ball. After shaping, these yummy balls are rolled in shredded coconut or colorful sprinkles. You can eat them right away, but they taste even better if you chill them in a refrigerator first.
Because they are so easy to make and don't need any baking, oatmeal balls are a favorite homemade sweet. They are often seen at children's parties and are a fun treat for anyone to whip up quickly.
Contents
Oatmeal Ball Variations Around the World
Oatmeal balls have cousins in other countries too! In Israel, people make a similar candy called Hebrew: כדור שוקולד, romanized: Kadur Shokolad, lit. 'chocolate ball'. Instead of oatmeal, they use Petit Beurre cookie crumbs.
In Austria, especially around Christmastime, you might find Rumkugel (plural Rumkugeln). These are very similar to oatmeal balls but have a small amount of rum mixed in for a grown-up flavor.
How the Oatmeal Ball Was Invented
The oatmeal ball likely first appeared during World War II. During this time, many ingredients like wheat flour were hard to find because of rationing. People had to get creative and find new ways to make food.
In 1943, a Danish newspaper called Nationaltidende published a small recipe book for homemakers. It was titled Ingenuity in a time of crisis (Danish: Opfindsomhed i en krisetid). This book included the recipe for havregrynskugle, which is the Danish name for oatmeal ball. This shows how people found clever ways to make treats even when supplies were limited.
The Story Behind the Names in Swedish
For a long time, one traditional name for this sweet treat in Swedish was negerboll. However, over recent years, this name has become less common. This is because the word neger is now generally seen as an offensive term, similar to how the English word Negro changed in meaning.
Because of this, the name chokladboll, which means "chocolate ball," is now the most common and recommended name. If the oatmeal ball is rolled in shredded coconut, it can also be called kokosboll, meaning "coconut ball."
The discussion about the name negerboll has been talked about in the media. Words can change their meaning over time, and it's important to use words that are respectful to everyone.
The official Swedish Academy's spelling dictionary, Svenska Akademiens ordlista, first added chokladboll in 2006. Before that, only negerboll was listed. In the 2006 edition, both names were included, but chokladboll was suggested as the better term. By the 2015 edition, negerboll was completely removed from the dictionary. This shows how language can evolve to be more inclusive and respectful.
See also
