Hochzeitssuppe, a traditional German wedding soup with meatballsRaw meatballsMeatballs being cooked
Ameatball isground meat (mince) rolled into a ball, sometimes along with other ingredients, such asbread crumbs, mincedonion,eggs,butter, and seasoning.[1] Meatballs are cooked byfrying,baking,steaming, orbraising in sauce. There are many types of meatballs using different types ofmeats andspices. The term is sometimes extended to meatless versions based on legumes, vegetables, mushrooms, fish (also commonly known asfish balls) or other seafood.
Early recipes included in some of the earliest knownArabic cookbooks generally feature seasoned lamb rolled into orange-sized balls and glazed with egg yolk and sometimessaffron.[3]
Armenian stewed meatballs/meatball and vegetable stew (kufte rize) is a classic dish often poured over rice for consumption.
InAustria, fried meatballs are calledFleischlaibchen orFleischlaberl.
InBelgium, meatballs are calledballekes orbuletten inFlanders and are usually made of a mixture of beef and pork with bread crumbs and sliced onions. Many other variations exist, including different kinds of meat and chopped vegetables. They are often served in tomato sauce or withsour cherry sauce.
InBosnia and Herzegovina andSerbia, meatballs are calledćufte (from theTurkish wordköfte) and are typically made from ground beef or ground lamb, usually served with cooked potatoes and salad on the side.
InBulgaria, meatballs are calledkyufte (from theTurkish wordköfte) and are typically made from ground beef or pork, or a mix of the two. They can be shallow fried or grilled and often contain diced onions and soaked bread. They are a very popular dish. The term can be used for anything from Turkishköfta to Swedish meatballs and has also been used for burgerpatties.
InCroatia, meatballs are calledpolpete in the Dalmatian region orfaširani šnicli (faširanci) orćufte in the continental part. They are typically made with ground beef or a mixture of pork and beef and served with mashed potatoes or rice, often with tomato based sauce.
Danish meatballs are known asfrikadeller and are typically fried. They are usually made out of groundpork, veal, onions, eggs, salt, and pepper; these are formed into balls and flattened somewhat, so they arepan ready. However, the Danish cuisine also includes other versions, such asboller i karry (meatballs in curry sauce, typically served with rice), and the smaller meatballs used in soup withmelboller (Danish dumplings).
InEstonia, meatballs are calledlihapallid (literally "meatballs") and are similar to those of Finnish or Swedish cuisine.
InFinland, meatballs are calledlihapullat (literally "meatbuns"). They are made with ground beef or a mix of ground beef and pork, or even with groundreindeer orelk meat, mixed with breadcrumbs soaked in milk orviili, beef stock and finely chopped onions or alternatively,French onion soup readymix. They are seasoned withwhite pepper andsalt. Meatballs are traditionally served withgravy orbrown sauce, boiled potatoes (or mashed potatoes),lingonberry jam, and sometimespickled cucumber or pickledbeetroot.
InFrance, meatballs are known asboulettes de viande or (in Northern France)fricadelles. They can be made of beef, veal, pork or fish. InAlsace, meatballs are known asFleischkiechele. They are made of beef, pork, onions, bacon, eggs, and bread. They are served plain or with cream sauce.[citation needed] In the region ofRoussillon, they are known asboles de picolat[6]. InLanguedoc, they are served with tomato sauce or in a dish calledragoût d'escoubilles.[7] The termquenelle can also refer to meatballs.[8]
InGermany, meatballs are mostly known asFrikadelle,Fleischküchle,Fleischpflanzerl,Bulette orKlopse. A notable variant of meatballs areKönigsberger Klopse, which containanchovy or saltedherring, and are eaten withcaper sauce.
InGreece, fried meatballs are calledkeftédes (κεφτέδες) (from theTurkish wordköfte) and usually include within the mix of bread, onions, parsley and mint leaf.[9] Stewed meatballs are calledyuvarlákia (γιουβαρλάκια: (from theTurkish wordyuvarlak, which means "round") and usually include small quantities of rice.
Fasírt in főzelék. The Hungarian fasírt has a harder crust than its counterparts. Soft meatballs used in Scandinavia or the ones that are put into the soup are calledhúsgolyó orhúsgombóc inHungarian.InHungary, as well as territories from neighbouring countries where Hungarian is spoken, a meatball is calledvagdalt orfasírt[ˈfɒʃiːrt] orfasírozott[ˈfɒʃiːrozott] probably coming from Austrian Germanfaschierte Laibchen. It is a mixture of minced pork, minced onions, garlic, paprika, salt and breadcrumbs, deep fried in oil or pork fat and eaten with potatoes orfőzelék. Also, themájgombóc[ˈmaːjɡomboːt͡s] (liver dumpling) is popular in soups.
InItaly, meatballs (calledpolpette[polˈpette], sing.polpetta) are generally eaten either as a main course or insoup. The main ingredients of an Italian meatball are beef and/or pork and sometimes poultry or sausage, salt, black pepper, chopped garlic, olive oil, Romano cheese, eggs,bread crumbs, and parsley, mixed and rolled by hand to a golf ball size. In theAbruzzo region of Italy, especially in theProvince of Teramo, the meatballs are typically the size of marbles and are calledpolpettine[polpetˈtiːne].
In theNetherlands, meatballs are calledgehaktbal, and are often served with boiled potatoes and vegetables. They are usually made out of mixed beef and pork minced meat, eggs, onion andbread crumbs.
InNorway, meatballs are calledkjøttkaker (lit. "meatcakes"). They are typically served with gravy (lit. "brown sauce"),kålstuing (cabbage in cream sauce),tyttebærsyltetøy (lingonberry jam) and boiled potatoes. Kjøttkaker are similar to kjøttboller, except in form. Kjøttboller are round, like the typical meatball, whereas kjøttkaker or meat cakes are in a patty form, flattened out, larger than kjøttboller and often somewhat oval in shape.
InPoland, they are calledpulpety [pl] (singularpulpet, from the Italian name) orklopsy (singularklops, from GermanKlopse), andpulpeciki ("littlepulpety"), and are usually served cooked with a variety of sauces (such as tomato or a kind of gravy thickened with flour, as well as forest mushroom sauce) with potatoes, rice or all sorts ofkasza.Pulpety orklopsy are usually made from seasoned ground meat with onion and mixed with eggs and either breadcrumbs or wheat rolls soaked in milk or water. Friedpulpety are larger than typical cooked ones. They can be round or flat in shape. The latter, in many countries, would be considered a cross between a meatball and a hamburger. The fried variety is calledmielony (short forkotlet mielony, literally "minced cutlet"), and its mass-produced version (as well as the one served in bars, etc.) is the subject of many jokes and urban legends about what is used to produce it.
InPortugal, meatballs are calledalmôndegas[alˈmõdɨɣɐʃ]. These are usually served with a spicy tomato sauce and rice or sometimes pasta.
InRomania andMoldova, there are two types of meatballs calledchiftele (from theTurkish wordköfte) andpârjoale, and are usually deep fried and made with pork or poultry, moistenedmashed potatoes and spices.Chiftele are flat and round and contain more meat. A variant mixing rice inside the meatball is used for sour soup, makingciorbă de perişoare.
InRussia, they are calledkotlety (Russian:котлеты) in flat forms ortefteli (Russian:тефтели) in ball forms. They can be made withchicken,pork,beef or fish. Tefteli have rice, potatoes and other vegetables mixed in as well.Kotlety are only made with meat and spices (sometimes bread is added). They can be served with a side of mashed potatoes or noodles, or in a sauce. When boiled in soup round meatballs are called frikadelki (Russian: фрикадельки).
InSlovenia, they are calledpolpeti. They are typically made with ground beef or a mixture of pork and beef and served with mashed potatoes, with tomato-based sauce.
InSpain andHispanic America, meatballs are calledalbóndigas, derived from theArabical-bunduq (meaning hazelnut, or, by extension, a small round object).Albóndigas are thought to have originated as a Berber or Arab dish introduced to Spain during the period ofMuslim rule. Spanishalbóndigas can be served as an appetizer or main course, often in a tomato sauce. Mexicanalbóndigas are commonly served in a soup with a light broth and vegetables.
InSweden, meatballs are calledköttbullar (literally "meat buns") and are considered anational dish.[10][11][12] They became popular in the mid-1800s with the advent ofmeat grinders.[13] Swedish meatballs are usually made with a mix of ground beef and ground pork, or just with ground beef, which is mixed into a mixture of beaten eggs, breadcrumbs soaked in milk, and grated raw onions or finely chopped and fried onions. Cream is often added for more luxurious versions. The meatball mixture is seasoned with salt andwhite pepper or a mixture of white pepper andallspice.[14][15] Swedish meatballs are traditionally served with gravy, boiled or mashed potatoes,lingonberry jam, and sometimespickled cucumber.[15] Traditionally, they are small, around 2–4 centimetres (0.79–1.57 in) in diameter, though larger meatballs are often served at restaurants.[16] The termköttbulle first appeared in 1755 inCajsa Warg's cookbook,[17] previously since the mid-1600s, they were more commonly calledfrikadeller.[18]IKEA, the world's largest furniture retailer, introduced Swedish meatballs to its cafeterias in 1985, and today serves over one billion meatballs annually worldwide.[19] In 2018, a user onSweden's official Twitter account claimed that Swedish meatballs originated in a Turkish recipe brought to Sweden by KingCharles XII in 1714 after his exile in the Ottoman Empire.[20] The claim garnered international attention[21][22] but was later refuted. Leading food historian Richard Tellström stated there was no evidence behind the claim.[23][24] The Twitter account retracted the statement shortly after.[25]
InTurkey, meatballs are calledköfte and are extremely popular; there are many different versions with a variety of shapes – not necessarily round. Meatballs in Turkey are usually made with ground lamb or a mix of ground beef and lamb. Variants are mostly named after their traditional cities; such asİnegöl köfte, İzmir köfte, Akçaabat köfte andTire köfte. Some of the other popular ones areşiş köfte,kadınbudu köfte [ca;tr] andsulu köfte. There is also a variant calledÇiğ köfte that can be vegan. There is also vegan köfte made frombulgur andlentils calledMercimek köftesi.
InUkraine, they are calledkotleta (Ukrainian:котлета) when fried andfrykadelka (Ukrainian:фрикаделька) when boiled in soup.
In theUnited Kingdom,faggots are a type of spicypork meatball. A faggot is traditionally made from pig's heart, liver and a fatty cut of pork (pork belly orback bacon) minced together, with herbs added for flavoring, and sometimes bread crumbs.
Most meatball recipes found in the Americas are derived from European cuisine influences, notably Italian, Sicily, Iberian (Portuguese-Spanish), and Nordic (Swedish) cuisines.
InBrazil, meatballs are calledalmôndegas, derived fromItalian influences. These are usually served with tomato sauce and pasta.
In theCanadian province ofQuebec, meatballs are the main component of a traditional dish calledragoût de boulettes (meatball stew). The meatballs are made with ground pork, onions, spices like cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg and are simmered in agravy thickened with toasted flour. The dish is normally served with boiled or mashed potatoes and pickled beets. It is so popular that a factory-processed version of the dish is available canned in most supermarkets throughout the province.
InMexico,albóndigas are commonly served with a light broth and vegetables, or with a mild chipotle sauce.[26]
InPuerto Rico, they are calledalbóndigas and have a strong Italian influence. Puerto Ricans living inNew York City brought the recipe back to Puerto Rico, because many Puerto Ricans in New York City lived side by side with Italians. The meatballs are usually seasoned withsofrito, olives, capers, cheese, egg, breadcrumbs, parsley, carrots, mint,adobo,sazon (annatto,paprika, cumin, and coriander seeds), almonds, and coffee. It is typically eaten in a sandwich with melted cheese on top or stewed in tomato sauce, or with rice, in a dinner calledArroz con albondigas (rice with meatballs)[27]
In theUnited States, meatballs are commonly derived from European cuisines. They are usually served withspaghetti, onpizza, or on asub (e.g.,spaghetti and meatballs, meatball pizza, andmeatball sandwiches). In the Southern United States, venison or beef is also often mixed with spices and baked into large meatballs that can be served as an entrée. Another variation, "porcupine meatballs", consists of basic meatballs often with rice in them. Several varieties of meatball pizza exist, such asTex-Mex and Greek-style lamb sweet-and-sour.[28] The meatballs on meatball pizzas may be sliced to reduce their size,[28] sliced in half, or broken up and spread out across the pizza.[29]
Kofta is a type of meatball ordumpling that is widely distributed inMiddle Eastern,South Asian,Mediterranean andBalkan (Central and Eastern Europe) cuisines. The wordkofta is derived fromPersiankūfta: In Persian, کوفتن (kuftan) means "to beat" or "to grind" or 'meatball'.[30] In the simplest form, koftas consist of balls or fingers of minced orground meat – usuallybeef orlamb – mixed with spices and/or onions and other ingredients. The vegetarian variety is popular in India. They can be grilled, fried, steamed, poached, baked or marinated, and may be served with a rich spicy sauce.
InAfghanistan, meatballs are used as a traditional dish with homemade soups or are made with a tomato-based sauce that may include some plum seeds to increase tartness and is served with bread or rice which is calledKofta-Chelou. Nowadays meatballs are also grilled on top ofpizza.
InIran, several types of meatballs are consumed. If they are cooked in a stew, they are calledkufteh. If they are fried (typically small meatballs), they are calledkal-e gonjeshki (literally "sparrow's head"). Both types are consumed with either bread or rice. Typically, herbs are added, and forkufteh, usually the meatball is filled with hard boiled eggs or dried fruits. There are several (at least 10) types; the most famous is "kufte Tabrīzī", traditionally fromTabriz in northwestern Iran.
InIsrael, meatballs are called ktzitzot basar (Hebrew:קציצות בשר), or sometimes simply ktzitzot (Hebrew:קציצות). Their exact ingredients and preparation vary widely, due to the influence of Jewish immigration from different regions. They are typically made of spiced ground beef, though turkey and chicken versions are also available, and in their common form, they are shaped as slightly flattened balls, pan fried and then cooked in tomato sauce or broth. Other variations also exist, including thegondi, which were brought by thePersian Jews, the albondigas of theSephardic cuisine, and the kufta that is customary with someMizrahi Jews.
Meatballs are popular inSouth Asian cuisine. InIndia, vegetarian versions of koftas are made with paneer, potato, bottle gourd, raw banana or other vegetables. South Asian meatballs are normally cooked in a spicy curry. InPakistan, they are cooked in a gravy calledchorba. Sometimes whole pre-boiled eggs are added, and sometimes the eggs are encased in a layer of the kofta meat to make something resembling aScotch egg. These kofta dishes are very popular with Indian diaspora and are available in many Indian restaurants.[31]
InSyria, meatballs are prepared in numerous ways. They are grilled on charcoal with or without eggplants or cooked in a stew with potato, onion and tomato sauce with a side of rice which is called Dawood Pasha.
InWest Bengal state of India andBangladesh, koftas are made with prawns, fish, green bananas, and cabbage, as well as minced goat meat.
Chinese meatballs (wanzi) are typically made of pork and can be steamed, boiled or deep-fried, sometimes with the addition ofsoy sauce. Large meatballs, calledlion's heads, can range in size from about 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) in diameter. Smaller varieties, calledpork balls, are used in soups. ACantonese variant, thesteamed meatball, is made of beef and served as adim sum dish.Pearl meatballs are made of pork coated withglutinous rice. Fish and seafood can also used to create different flavors and textures, and vegetarian alternatives to meatballs are served during festivals. In northern China, meatballs made from minced meat and flour, sometimes with the addition oflotus root orwater chestnut for texture, are deep-fried and served in avinegar-based sweet and sour sauce, or in a light broth with choppedcoriander.
Indonesian meatballs are calledbakso which are usually served in a bowl, served in broth soup, with noodles, rice vermicelli, bean curd (tofu), hard-boiled egg,siomay steamed meat dumpling, and fried wonton. They have a consistent homogeneous texture.Bakso can be found in major Indonesian cities and towns; however, the most popular arebakso Solo andbakso Malang (named after the city of origin). In Malang,bakso bakar (roastedbakso) is also popular. As most Indonesians are Muslim, generally it is made from beef or sometimes chicken.
InJapanese cuisine, a popular variant of meatballs istsukune, minced chicken meatballs on a skewer. Chinese-style meatballs are also popular. Another kind of meatball calledtsumire is made from ground fish. This is often added to soups or nabes (stews).
In thePhilippines, meatballs are calledbola-bola oralmondigas and are usually served in amisua noodle soup with toasted garlic, squash and porkcracklings.Bola-bola are derived from Hispanic influence on Filipino cuisine and ultimately derived from Moorish influence.Bola-bola are also stewed or pan-fried until golden brown.Bola-bola is also used as a filling forsiopao, the local variant ofbaozi.
InThailand, meatballs (luk chin) are various. The materials can be pork, beef, chicken and fish. The finished meatballs can be incorporated into many dishes. They can be grilled, deep-fried, eaten with dipping sauce, or used as a component of noodle soups.
InVietnam, meatballs (thịt viên ormọc,bò viên,cá viên) can be used as an ingredient inphở andhủ tiếu. It is also common to cook meatballs in tomato sauce, and finely chopped spring onion and peppers are added before serving. Inbún chả (a specialty Vietnamese rice noodle), meatballs are grilled to bechả and served withbún (rice noodles) and dipping sauce (based on fish sauce seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar, garlic, and chili).Xíu nại is a pork meatball in a tomato sauce often served with a baguette.
.jpg)
Media related toMeatballs at Wikimedia Commons
Cookbook:Meatballs at Wikibooks
