Guide Note

Matzo balls are boiled dumplings common to Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine that are analagous to German semmelknoedel (as well as to such dishes as tortilla soup and bread pudding) in that they provide a use for leftover bread. Matzo balls are made from pre-cooked matzo meal, either coarsely or finely ground and fortified with some mixture of stock, fat, seasonings, and other ingredients such as onions, carrots, and eggs. They are most often eaten in broth, classically in chicken broth, constituting the traditional matzo ball soup. Matzo ball soup is quite popular during Passover, when raw flour is not supposed to be used -- although stricter diners may also extend the prohibition to include gebrochts, or soaked matzo. The difference springs from disagreements as to the meaning of the term 'leavening', and is often settled by a special 'non-gebrochts' variant of the matzo ball made from potatoes.

Fast Facts

1. AKA: Matza Balls, Matzah Balls, Matzoh Balls
2. Chicken fat, or schmaltz is traditionally used
3. Butter is inauthentic, since Jewish dietary law forbids mixing meat and dairy
4. Modern recipes often feature olive oil or vegetable oil
5. Egg matzo is often inappropriate, as it may be sweetened with fruit juice
6. Different, but similarly specific rules govern the handling of challah