Knödel (; and ) or KlöÃÂe (; : KloÃÂ) are boiled dumplings commonly found in Central European and Eastern European cuisine. Countries in which their variant of is popular include Austria, Bosnia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia. Similar dishes can be found in most other European cuisines, such as Scandinavian, Romanian, northeastern Italian, Jewish, Ukrainian and Belarusian cuisines. Usually made from flour, bread or potatoes, they are often served as a side dish, but can also be a dessert such as plum dumplings, or even meat balls in soup. Many varieties and variations exist.
The word is German and is cognate with the English word knot and the Latin word 'knot'. Through the Old High German and the Middle High German it finally changed to the modern expression. Knödel in Hungary are called or ; in Slovenia, or (vulgarly) ; in the Czech Republic, (singular ); in Slovakia, (singular ); in Luxembourg, ; in Bosnia, Croatia, Poland and Serbia, ; in Bukovina, or . The same German roots are found in these Romance languages: France has , and large are called in Italian; is the Ladin word for the same dish. In some regions of the United States, klub is used to refer specifically to potato dumplings. A similar dish is known in Sweden ( or ) and in Norway ( or ), filled with salty meat; and in Canada ().
Knödel are used in various dishes in Austrian, German, Slovak and Czech cuisine. From these regions, Knödel spread throughout Europe. KlöÃÂe are also large dumplings, steamed or boiled in hot water, made of dough from grated raw or mashed potatoes, eggs and flour. Similar semolina crack dumplings are made with semolina, egg and butter called (Austrian German: ; ; ). are made from raw or boiled potatoes, or a mixture of both, and are often filled with croutons or ham.