I·ATE Food Term of the Week: Kniddelen

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Kniddelen feature

TermCoord's ClassicThinking about Luxembourgish dishes, Kniddelen is one of the first that comes to my mind. Translated to English, Kniddelen means flour dumplings. The Kniddelen are usually made of dough which is similar to the dough used for Knödel. However, the dough is traditionally staked out with a spoon. The consequence is that the Kniddelen get bigger than the Spätzle and look more like Knödel. As mentioned, Kniddelen is a Luxembourgish dish with strong relations to other European countries like Germany, Austria and Italy.

For instance, in Germany and Austria the Knödel and the Spätzle are traditional dishes, which are quite similar to the Luxembourgish Kniddelen. An article dedicated to the Knödel was previously published on the website of the Terminology Coordination Unit of the European Parliament.

Another relation can be made with an Italian dish, called Gnocchi, which is quite popular in Luxembourg. During the 19th and 20th century, many Italian families moved to the Grand Duchy because the steel industry offered a lot of jobs. As a result, many dishes were imported to Luxembourg, among them the Gnocchi, which is served in many Italian restaurants in Luxembourg.

The preparation for the Kniddelen is not that time consuming. Making the dough on your own, the preparation takes more or less an hour. The Kniddelen can be accompanied by meat (often bacon), fruits or vegetables. Depending on the preferences, the Kniddelen can be sweet, sour or hearty. The Luxembourgish dish can also be served in a vegetarian or vegan form by leaving out the meat and the eggs. The Kniddelen can be prepared with a cream sauce or with apple compote.

Sources

https://www.kochwiki.org/wiki/Kniddelen

http://www.lessentiel.lu/de/luxemburg/story/Cathy-grabt-Luxemburger-Rezept-Schatze-aus-21433958

http://luxembourg.public.lu/de/le-grand-duche-se-presente/population/emigration-immigration/index.html

http://www.paules.lu/2010/11/%E2%80%A2-kniddelen-mat-greiwen-an-appelkompott-mehlknodel-luxemburger-art-mit-speck-und-apfelmus/

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/bavarian-bread-dumplings-served-on-white-362936579?src=vzn3cULQYWwoiZHLTVeusg-1-2

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/city-lights-on-world-map-europe-580449682?src=Yz0s5ktctH1c8VF1525_Ww-1-15

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/fresh-homemade-uncooked-gnocchi-italian-dumplings-679853335?src=ajc3gQ673LUbBBVzZ4Ji-A-1-2

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/luxembourg-city-downtown-part-grund-scenic-150268928?src=zD_I9FXDWlW0ywW7hpk_5Q-1-3

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/traditional-bavarian-spaetzle-boiled-egg-noodles-662232346?src=B2ToQJiEktwF9aHM2dgDMA-1-5


Written by Gilles Loran – Student in “Learning and Communication in Multilingual and Multicultural Contexts” at the University of Luxembourg