Amongst the most famous food products, dumplings are popular all around the world and this week, for the I-ATE Food Term of the week, we decided to present to you some variations of this dish and its names according to traditional recipes in some countries.
Schlutzkrapfen, also called “mezzelune tirolesi”, is a famous Tyrolean dish of the Trentino-Alto Adige region in Italy. This type of dumplings is made using rye flour for the dough and a spinach and ricotta cheese filling. The preferred dressing for this dish is browned butter, parmigiano cheese and minced chives.
In Sardinia, culurgiones are the traditional dumplings whose name means “little bundles” and in 2015 they have been awarded PGI (Protected Geographical Indication). Shaping the dough is not easy since these dumplings have the shape of a spike, but the ingredients are minimal. The dough is made of flour, semolina, olive oil, salt and warm water while the filling is prepared using potatoes, sheep ricotta cheese, grated pecorino cheese, fresh mint leaves, olive oil and garlic. The dressing for this dish is a simple tomato sauce, some pecorino cheese, fresh mint. Other recipes include also the addition of onion in the filling, or seasonings like nutmeg or saffron.
In Georgia, the most popular dumplings are Khinkali (ხინკალი) and they are considered one of the national dishes in the country. Khinkali are twisted knobs of dough filled with meat and spices. The most popular filling is pork or beef meat, but it can also be lamb meat, especially in the mountains. Some recipes also include also other ingredients such as cheese, mushrooms and potatoes among the ingredients. The dough is prepared using flour, eggs, warm water, while the fillings depend on the region. Once boiled, khinkali they can be eaten or even fried to make the dish more delicious.
Slovenian dumplings are called idrijski žlikrofi and in 2002 they were granted the traditional product status by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food. Their name derives from Idrija town, and they are made of dough with a potato filling and the addition of smoked bacon, onion, minced lard, seasoning and herbs. Idrijski žlikrofi are served with cracklings, meat sauces and other kind of sauces. The most common sauce for žlikrofi is called bakalca and is made with mutton or rabbit meat.
In Russia, the most famous dumplings are called pelmeni (пельмени) and they are part of the culinary family tradition. Every family cherishes its own recipe and they eat these dumplings especially during festivities when the whole family gathers round the table. On these occasions, it is typical to eat pelmeni filled with cabbage and pork or beef, wrapped in a thin layer of dough and then boiled. The dough is prepared using water, salt, eggs and flour while the fillings can vary but, in general, it is a mix of vegetables like cabbage and potatoes and meat.
The Kärntner Kasnudeln are a speciality from the Alpine region Carinthia in southern Austria. They are also part of the family of dumplings and have a shape which resembles a half-moon. The pasta dough, which is rather tough, is filled with quark cheese (Topfen), boiled potatoes, peppermint and flavoured with some other herbs. The Kasnudeln are boiled in hot water and usually served with Butterschmalz (browned butter) and accompanied with salad.
In the south 
of Germany, you can taste dumplings called Maultaschen, also known as Herrgottsbescheißerle. They are a speciality of the Swabian cuisine and have been awarded the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) label in 2009. Maultaschen are square-shaped dumplings, which consist of pasta dough filled with onion, minced meat, smoked meat, bacon, bread crumbs, spinach and flavoured with parsley, pepper and marjoram. Usually they are served in broth, but you can also taste them in other variations like breaded and fried or topped with a warm vegetable sauce.
And in your country? Which kind of dumplings do you traditionally cook and how do you call them?
Have a delicious weekend!
Written by Iris Rinner – Terminology trainee at the Terminology Coordination Unit of the European Parliament, BA in Modern Foreign Languages and Cultures from the University of Sassari and MA in Specialized Translation from the University of Vienna, and Serena Grementieri – Terminology trainee at the Terminology Coordination Unit of the European Parliament, BA in Intercultural Linguistic Mediation and MA degree in Specialized Translation at the School of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Interpreting and Translation (ex-SSLMIT) of Forlì, University of Bologna.
Sources:
- Edim doma (2017), Пельмени мясо-капустные «Семейная традиция», Available at: http://bit.ly/2pGtPI7 (Accessed 20 April 2017)
- Georgian recipes (2013), Khinkali, Available at: http://bit.ly/2o7u7KN (Accessed 20 April 2017)
- Giallo Zafferano (2017), Schlutzkrapfen o mezzelune tirolesi o ravioli spinaci e ricotta, Available at: http://bit.ly/2pGROK5 (Accessed 20 April 2017)
- La Cucina Italiana (2016), Culurgiones, i ravioli di patata sardi, Available at: http://bit.ly/2oQlZgl (Accessed 20 April 2016)
- Neckar-magazin (n.d.), Schwäbische Maultaschen, Available at: http://bit.ly/2o87Koo (Accessed 20 April 2017)
- Polona Prešeren, (n.d.), Idrijski žlikrofi – a true speciality of Idrija, Slovenia.Si, Available at: http://bit.ly/2oq3XiG (Accessed 20 April 2017)
- Russia beyond the headlines (2011), Pelmeni, bontà dalla pazienza siberiana, Available at: http://bit.ly/2opRyva (Accessed 20 April 2017)
- Servus Am Freitag (2017), Rezept des Tages, Kärntner Kasnudeln, Available at: http://bit.ly/2pH7cpI, (Accessed 20 April 2017)
- Südtirol, die offizielle Reiseseite (n.d.), Schlutzkrapfen, Available at: http://bit.ly/2nW702B (Accessed 20 April 2017)