A Matzo Ball Isn't a Dumpling

A Jewish girl in New York, I was raised eating matzo ball soup. And not just on Passover, all year round. Whether it was my mom or my Bubbie, chicken soup with matzo balls, a.k.a. Jewish penicillin, was a staple in our home. For holidays, or for the perfect cold remedy during the chilly fall and winter days, it is comfort food at its finest. Now I make it too, maybe not as often, but at least couple of times a year. My husband, not a big fan of the matzo ball (Maybe because he's not Jewish?). For my son on the other hand, the matzo ball is the most important part of the soup. In fact, several matzo balls in a shallow puddle of broth would suit him just fine. I love them too.

It wasn't until I moved to Florida that I met so many people who didn't know what matzo balls are. Sure, if you weren't raised on them it's highly unlikely you never tasted one. But never heard of one? Many people compare them to dumplings. I've heard people say, "It's a Jewish dumpling." That was always strange to me. I don't think of them as the same at all. I understand they are both bread-like products put in broth or gravy, but to me they are quite different. Let me explain.

Image from wikipedia.org

According to Google, a dumpling is "a small savory ball of dough (usually made with suet) that may be boiled, fried, or baked in a casserole." If you're like me, you're wondering what the heck is suet? Here's what Google says about suet: "the hard white fat on the kidneys and loins of cattle, sheep, and other animals, used to make foods including puddings, pastry, and mincemeat." I'm sorry, but yuck. Anyway, back to the dumpling. The key word is dough. Each kind of dumpling, in every part of the world they're found, is made from some sort of dough. Think pasta or wantons. According to CNN Travel's Around the World in 30 Dumplings, they're usually stuffed too. Check out the article because there are some delicious-looking international takes on the dumpling. A Google image search will also yield countless photos of deliciousness from ravioli and wontons to chicken and dumplings. But all of them are some version of a filling wrapped in dough, no matter the country or culture of origin. The only exception is the dumpling in chicken and dumplings. Those dumplings I believe, are just dough balls dropped into the chicken-like stew. Still then, the dumpling is made from dough. It just lacks the filling.

Let me present to you, the matzo ball. Named so because it is made from a meal of ground matzo and obviously shaped into a ball, these are not dumplings. There is no dough involved, and they are not stuffed with anything. People will call them dumplings, but they are not. The meal is combined with eggs and fat (oil, margarine, chicken fat, etc). It is mixed up and left to sit for a bit, and then just like meatballs, you spoon some out and hand roll them. It takes a certain finesse to ensure they are rolled with just the right amount of firmness that they hold together, and just enough of a light hand that they are light and fluffy and not dense and heavy. Then they are boiled in water and typically added to soup. There is no dough and there is no filling. If they are made right, they will float in soup and and easily break apart with a spoon into smaller pieces to be enjoyed with each bite of chicken soup.

I just made these today. Notice how visibly un-dense they appear. They are are an entity in and of themselves, not wrapped in dough or anything else. Additionally, they are they filled with anything.

Do you see how fluffy they appear on the inside? This is key to enjoying them with soup. If you break them up a bit in your bowl, they soak up some of the broth and give you the full complement of flavor and texture to the chicken soup. The pieces will also float and not sink to the bottom of your bowl. Because they're not made from dense dough, they don't sit in your stomach like lead either.

I rest my case. Matzo balls are not dumplings. Give one a try, see what you think. I've got a big pot of chicken soup on the stove now. Come on over and I'll fix you a bowl with a couple of matzo balls!