{"id":25836,"date":"2020-06-30T05:07:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-30T04:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/?p=25836"},"modified":"2025-06-10T08:51:12","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T07:51:12","slug":"knodel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/food\/knodel\/","title":{"rendered":"The Kn\u00f6del"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/knoedelsmall.jpg\" alt=\"Serviettenkn\u00f6del\" class=\"wp-image-25840\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/knoedelsmall.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/knoedelsmall-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Many Viennese menus contain various dishes all ending in the word <em>kn\u00f6del<\/em>, which sounds like something you might find in an IKEA catalogue. We have Marillenkn\u00f6del, Semmelkn\u00f6del, Leberkn\u00f6del, Germkn\u00f6del, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So what is a kn\u00f6del and what are all these different versions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Austrian dumplings<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sweet and savoury varieties<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>And mysterious ones that appear in your soup<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Book a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/food-tours-vienna-tickets-l205283\/?partner=visitingvienna&amp;tq_campaign=LG_FandD\" rel=\"sponsored\">culinary experience<\/a>* in Vienna<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>See also:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/traditional-food-drink\/\">Food and drink in Vienna<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/food\/main-courses\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"28214\">Main courses<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"dumplings-sort-of\">Dumplings. Sort of.<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/semmelknoedel.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-25841\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/semmelknoedel.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/semmelknoedel-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Serviettenkn\u00f6del &#8211; notable for being served in slices, not as a rounded dumpling)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Kn\u00f6del<\/em> translates as dumpling, a concept guaranteed to strike fear into anyone brought up in 1970s England. My mum would throw suet dumplings into beef casseroles, where they lurked like gelatinous icebergs ready to sink the unwary eater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately, the Austrian equivalent has more to offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The term covers a wide range of dumpling-type foods, all cooked in water. The wide variety on offer largely results from changing the ingredients used in the basic kn\u00f6del dough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We can thank the earthy side of traditional Austrian cooking for the concept, whereby the local cuisine manages to have two quite different kn\u00f6del categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Those you might eat as (or with) a starter or main course<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sweeter versions that sit happily on the dessert menu<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"starter-main-course-knodel\">Starter &amp; main course kn\u00f6del<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>These kn\u00f6del consist of robust varieties designed to see you through harsh winters in isolated log cabins. You eat them or, if necessary, use them as emergency cavity wall insulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Popular options include the kn\u00f6del you might find in an otherwise unassuming consomm\u00e9-type soup. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"leberknodel\">Leberkn\u00f6del<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/leberknoedel.jpg\" alt=\"Leberkn\u00f6del\" class=\"wp-image-48198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/leberknoedel.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/leberknoedel-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Leberkn\u00f6del in soup)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A smallish dumpling typically made of minced bread, onions, liver, and possibly other offal (such as kidneys). You can feel the historical origins in that ingredient list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"kaspressknodel\">Kaspresskn\u00f6del<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/kaspressknoedel.jpg\" alt=\"Kaspresskn\u00f6del in soup\" class=\"wp-image-48197\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/kaspressknoedel.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/kaspressknoedel-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Another common addition to the innocent soup: the Kaspresskn\u00f6del)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another dwarf dumpling, this time made from cheese and small cubes of bread, and then flattened. The Kaspresskn\u00f6del comes from the west side of Austria, but you also find it in Vienna (sometimes as a standalone dish).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"griessnockerl\">Griessnockerl<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/griessnockerl.jpg\" alt=\"Griessnockerl\" class=\"wp-image-48196\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/griessnockerl.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/griessnockerl-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Soup with Griessnockerl)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A semolina-based kn\u00f6del to give a carbohydrate boost to your soup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You may have spotted the word <em>nockerl<\/em> sliding in there to replace kn\u00f6del. Viennese cuisine likes to throw a few linguistic complications into the path of innocent visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nockerl, for example, usually has two culinary meanings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Something that&#8217;s actually a kn\u00f6del, but smaller and more oval. As in Griessnockerl. You might also find Leberkn\u00f6del described as Lebernockerl<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A different kind of dough entirely, normally based on flour, eggs, and dairy products<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Let us move on to common kn\u00f6del used as main dishes or sides&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"semmelknodel-serviettenknodel\">Semmelkn\u00f6del &amp; Serviettenkn\u00f6del<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/schweinsbraten2024a.jpg\" alt=\"Roast pork, sauerkraut and dumpling\" class=\"wp-image-79357\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/schweinsbraten2024a.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/schweinsbraten2024a-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Kn\u00f6del served as a side dish with roast pork)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A Semmel is a white bread roll, which suggests the Semmelkn\u00f6del might be a bread-based dumpling. Correct! Small cubes of dry white bread make up the main ingredient. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One variation involves forming tubes of that dough, rather than balls, wrapping them in a cloth napkin (Serviette), and then boiling in water. You serve the resulting Serviettenkn\u00f6del in slices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This kn\u00f6del traditionally accompanies one of the more classic Austrian dishes: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/food\/schweinsbraten\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"40897\">Schweinsbraten<\/a> (a form of roast pork). The bread dumplings soak up the gravy rather nicely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This (side) dish also offers the possibility of forming some of those gorgeous long German words. A Buttermilchserviettenkn\u00f6del, for example, adds buttermilk to the recipe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><em>Ad:<\/em><br><\/div><div data-tiqets-widget=\"discovery\" data-cards-layout=\"horizontal\" data-slug-ids=\"exp206741,exp238032\" data-partner=\"visitingvienna\" data-tq-campaign=\"DA_ConcTour\"><\/div><script defer src=\"https:\/\/widgets.tiqets.com\/loader.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"fleischknodel\">Fleischkn\u00f6del<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Fleisch means meat in German, so a Fleischkn\u00f6del is pretty much as it sounds: a thick outer layer of (potato) dough and a centre filled with some form of processed meat&#8230;perhaps mince, smoked pork, or similar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A variation is the <em>Grammelkn\u00f6del<\/em>. I have no idea how to translate Grammel, which seems to be some derivative of fried pork skin that&#8217;s eaten in small pieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I tried Grammelkn\u00f6del once back in the mid-1990s. Just once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Incidentally, if I sound negative about kn\u00f6del I really don&#8217;t mean to. Blame my childhood. They&#8217;re actually very traditional and popular in Austria for a reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-dessert-knodel\">The dessert Kn\u00f6del<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/eismarillenknoedel.jpg\" alt=\"An Eismarillenkn\u00f6del\" class=\"wp-image-74067\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/eismarillenknoedel.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/eismarillenknoedel-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(An Eismarillenkn\u00f6del takes the apricot dumpling concept and replaces the dough and fruit with ice cream)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Turning to the sweeter side of the menu, the dessert kn\u00f6del are true Hall of Fame representatives of Austrian and Viennese cuisine. Common varieties include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"topfenknodel\">Topfenkn\u00f6del<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The curd cheese or quark dumpling forms a dessert in its own right, but also provides the basic dough typically used as the outer layer in fruit dumplings like the Marillenkn\u00f6del.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Topfenkn\u00f6del might consist of a quark, egg and butter dough, cooked in water, then rolled in fried breadcrumbs and dusted with icing sugar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"marillenknodel-zwetschkenknodel\">Marillenkn\u00f6del &amp; Zwetschkenkn\u00f6del<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/marillenknoedel.jpg\" alt=\"A Marillenkn\u00f6del\" class=\"wp-image-48195\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/marillenknoedel.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/marillenknoedel-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(A Marillenkn\u00f6del)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fruit dumplings have delighted Austrian palates for many a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Essentially, a piece of fruit sits in the centre of a sweet dumpling dough, with the final product coated in sugar and fried breadcrumbs as above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The nation&#8217;s favourite and a common item on restaurant menus is the Marillenkn\u00f6del (apricot dumplings), followed someway behind by the Zwetschkenkn\u00f6del (plum dumplings).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Numerous other fillings exist, such as cherries or even balls of chocolate nougat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"germknodel\">Germkn\u00f6del<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, on the dessert side of things, say hello to the monster pudding otherwise known as the Germkn\u00f6del. A giant half-sphere of yeast dough, filled with powidl (a kind of plum jam), and sprinkled with poppy seed and icing sugar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Melted butter normally accompanies the Germkn\u00f6del, but vanilla sauce is a popular option too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, there you have it. The kn\u00f6del in all its common forms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more insight into Viennese cuisine, see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/traditional-food-drink\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1654\">my overview<\/a> of traditional food and drink.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many Viennese menus contain various dishes all ending in the word kn\u00f6del, which sounds like something you might find in an IKEA catalogue. We have Marillenkn\u00f6del, Semmelkn\u00f6del, Leberkn\u00f6del, Germkn\u00f6del, and more. So what is a kn\u00f6del and what are all these different versions? Dumplings. Sort of. (Serviettenkn\u00f6del &#8211; notable for being served in slices, not [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25840,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-25836","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-food","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25836","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25836"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25836\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":84022,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25836\/revisions\/84022"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25840"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25836"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25836"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}