What Are Kneidlach? Matzo Balls Explained

Part of our Heritage Kitchen Glossary – short guides to the ingredients and techniques behind Eastern European cooking.

The short answer

Kneidlach are matzo balls, the dumplings of matzo ball soup. The dough is matzo meal, beaten eggs, a fat such as schmaltz or oil, and a little broth or seltzer; it is chilled, rolled into balls and simmered. Matzo meal is ground matzo, unleavened bread made only from flour and water and baked, by Jewish tradition, within 18 minutes of mixing, before the dough can rise. The soup comes from Ashkenazi Jewish cooking and is traditionally eaten on Passover, though it is common throughout the year. In English the dumpling has been called a matzo ball since at least 1902.

Where the kneidel came from

How old the kneidel is depends on whom you ask. Tablet’s list of the 100 most Jewish foods traces it to the German Knödel, a bready dumpling, and says Jewish cooks in the Middle Ages first adapted such dumplings to Sabbath soups. An article on Chabad.org sees it as a relatively new invention, probably from the 19th century. One of the earliest printed recipes in English is the “Matso Soup” in The Jewish Manual, published in London in 1846. It is made with beef, not chicken, and its matzo balls are seasoned with ginger and nutmeg.

In Lithuania, kneidlach for the Sabbath were sometimes filled with cinnamon or meat, and a version with a little schmaltz inside was known as “matzah balls with souls.”

Floaters vs. sinkers

Cooks disagree about texture. Some want light “floaters,” others swear by dense “sinkers.” Floaters are often made with soda water or a little baking powder, and rolling the balls loosely, without packing them, also keeps them lighter. Sinkers have their own loyal fans.

Matzo meal and Passover

Matzo meal is matzo ground to crumbs. Not every community serves matzo balls during Passover, though. Some, by custom, avoid matzo that has been soaked in liquid for most of the holiday, while others eat matzo balls throughout the festival.

How they’re made, in short

The eggs are beaten with schmaltz and broth or seltzer, then matzo meal, salt and pepper are stirred in. The dough rests in the fridge for 30–60 minutes and is shaped with wet hands. The balls cook in a pot of well-salted water or straight in the simmering broth. Cooked separately, they can be stored apart from the broth so they don’t sit in the liquid. The full method is in our Traditional Matzo Ball Soup.

A lighter version

The lighter section of our matzo ball soup recipe swaps olive oil for the schmaltz, replaces two of the four eggs with three egg whites and uses whole-wheat matzo meal; whole-wheat matzo has about four times the fiber of plain matzo. The matzo balls may come out slightly different in texture.

The same meal binds the ground fish in our Traditional Gefilte Fish.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are kneidlach made of?

Matzo meal, beaten eggs, a fat such as schmaltz or vegetable oil, a little broth or seltzer, and salt. The dough is chilled, rolled into balls and simmered.

Is kneidlach the same thing as a matzo ball?

Yes. Kneidlach are matzo balls; in English the dumpling has been called a matzo ball since at least 1902.

Why do some matzo balls float and others sink?

Light floaters are often made with soda water or a little baking powder, and rolling the balls loosely keeps them lighter. Dense sinkers have their own loyal fans.

Why do some families avoid matzo balls during Passover?

Some communities, by custom, avoid matzo that has been soaked in liquid for most of Passover. Others eat matzo balls throughout the festival.

Can kneidlach be made lighter?

Yes. Olive oil can replace the schmaltz, part of the eggs can be swapped for egg whites, and whole-wheat matzo meal adds fiber. The texture may come out slightly different.

What Are Kneidlach? The Matzo Balls Behind the Soup