Germany, The Land of Dumplings

Yes, the land of wine and kuchens is also known as the “Land of Dumplings”! Are you a dumpling lover? If so, make a “dumpling pilgrimage” to Germany. Round or oblong, filled with fruit, jam, croûtons or meat, dumplings are the favored national dish of the Germans. Not sure you like dumplings? Everything you need to know about this varied dish can be found in Germany! Sample dumplings of every shape and flavor in all types of restaurants, from the elite and trendy to the roadside Gasthaus. You are sure to fall in love with this most traditional dish from the German cuisine. No matter where you find them, they are delicious!

Known as Kloße or Knodel, depending on where you are in the country, this dish changes region to region, with many different flavors, types and names. North Germans call them "Klöße", while those in the south know them as "Knödel". Some regions have several variations. Most of Bavaria embraces the name "Knödel" while those in Bavarian-Oberfranken know them as "Kloß". Besides being known by different names, dumpling type can change from region to region. In Thuringer for example, dumplings are generally made with raw or cooked potatoes, and sometimes a mix of both.

The varied ingredients for making dumplings as well as shapes and sizes can be astounding. Common ingredients are potatoes, bread or pretzels, flour and even meat. Most dumplings are served with some sort of gravy or sauce, and are usually paired with a side of meat such as pork or duck.

Kartoffelkloesse as Potato dumplings are known, seem to be the most common type of dumpling found in Germany. These are made with finely chopped raw potatoes, boiled potatoes, or a combination of both. Binding ingrediants can include eggs mixed with flour, bread, or breadcrumbs added to the potatoes. Sometimes herbs or bacon are used for extra flavor.
Bread dumplings are made with white bread. Usually formed and placed in boiling water, there is another variation, the "Serviettenknödel" or napkin dumplings. These are formed and wrapped in a linen napkin before being steamed. Serviettenklösse (or knödel) are more commonly found in the regions closest to Austria and in parts of Bavaria. September is the best season to eat bread or pretzel dumplings, because this is when mushrooms are traditionally harvested. Bread dumplings are the favorite to be served with a side of rich creamy sauces featuring mushrooms or chanterelle as they are known in Germany. Finding this dish in nearly each and every Bavarian restaurant during mushroom season along with a wonderful roast, is reason enough to see Germany in September.

Meat dumplings known as Klopse or Klöpse in the North-East or Knöpfe and Nocken in the South, are made with variou s meats. Meat, bone marrow or liver dumplings are commonly used in German soups. Americans are most familiar with liver dumplings in chicken soup. Even fish is used, the most famous being the Königsberger Klopse which contains anchovy or salted herring and must be served with a capon sauce. This dish is found in the East Prussian region.

Throughout Germany, the children's favorite are sweet dumplings filled with jam! For a treat, try this sweet dumpling served with a vanilla or warmed wine sauce or fruit compote. Sweet dumplings are made with a variety of doughs, one of the more popular ones is the quark dough. Quark is a runnier version of cream cheese. The dough is wrapped around a pitted plum (more known in the north), or pitted apricot-more popular in South Germany. In the southern regions, sweet dumplings are also served with fruit compote and a sauce made of browned butter and crushed crumbs from bröttchen. Jam dumplings are usually made with a yeast dough and are loved throughout Germany.

Like leftovers? Sliced and fried dumplings hit the spot. The common German name for this dish is Knödelgröschtl". Made from left-over dumplings, sliced and pan-fried with butter, sausages or bacon, onions and egg, it is also called "bauern fruhstück" (farmers breakfast) in the many German gasthouses known for their "gut bürgerliche küche”. When looking for an authentic Knödelgröschtl look for a restaurant with traditional German fare. Often visitors to Germany assume all Gasthauses or Gasthof serve authentic German cuisine. Not always, some are owned and operated by "auslander" serving their own native cuisine.

If finding and eating great dumplings is not enough, plan on going to the worlds only potato and dumpling museum! Dedicated to the promotion of potatoes and dumplings,The Potato Dumpling Museum is found in a small village Heichelheim near Weimar. This museum is included in the Top Ten of Germany's Best Food Museums. While there, feast your eyes on equipment used to grow and harvest potatoes, and gadgets that can be used to make potato dumplings. Enjoy the regular exhibits which are always featured as well as special ones, such as "Think Potato"; a gathering of photos of potato monuments around the world.

Getting to Germany is relatively easy, hop a flight to Frankfort; Germany’s largest airport centrally located in the country, or go through Dortmund. It doesn’t matter where you start. Germany is a relatively small country. Plan ahead and make reservations for lodging every step of the way or be adventurous and take a train and/or rent a car; driving and stopping in places with appeal. The best travel guide you can have with you is a GPS navigation system since finding your way around Germany's back roads can be a bit daunting to the uninitiated. Two more important travel tips, shops generally close Saturday afternoon until Monday morning and bring travelers checks or Euros, since debit cards and credit cards are not accepted everywhere.

Dumplings are found everywhere in Germany, and the adventure is trying the many variations of dumplings throughout Germany. Finding the perfect dumpling is your reward. How do you know when you have found the “perfect dumpling”? Most Germans will tell you the perfect dumpling is the one that appeals most to your “geschmack”, in other words, taste.