How to cook a knaidel
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Matzo Balls (iStock)
The German-Yiddish word knaidel didn't stump Arvind Mahankali this time.
Mahankali, 13, nabbed the title of Scripps National Spelling Bee champion on Thursday night, after losing two previous championships on German-derived words.
But like many, you may have wondered, what the heck does knaidel mean?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In its basic form, it means a small ball of unleavened dough. But it is essentially a type of dumpling popular in Jewish cooking. One type of knaidel most are familiar with is a matzo ball, commonly made of matzo meal, (unleavened wheat flour) chicken fat, and eggs.
You can also make them out of potatoes for a gluten-free version.
Mahankali told the AP that he'd never tried the Jewish comfort food. So in honor of spelling bee whiz kid, make a bowl of matzo balls this weekend.
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