MAIN INGREDIENTS
Traditionally associated with the northern parts of Sweden and the Finnish Lapland, blodpalt are the nutritious, dark-brown dumplings prepared with rye or barley flour and animal’s blood. Although they were traditionally made with reindeer’s blood, today they appear in numerous regional varieties which employ blood of various animals, different spices, and occasionally mashed potatoes.
They are sometimes filled with a mixture of sautéed onions and diced bacon, and are commonly cooked in flavorful meat broths. Blodpalt dumplings are usually enjoyed as a side dish accompanied by fried bacon or pork, butter, and lingonberry jam.
Kumpe fra Agder are traditional Norwegian dumplings originating from the region of Aust-Agder. The dumplings are usually made with a combination of potatoes, flour, salt, and bacon or suet. The potatoes are grated, and most of the liquid is drained.
They're mixed with all-purpose or barley flour until the dough becomes firm. The dough is seasoned with salt, shaped into small oblong or round dumplings, and a piece of suet or bacon is then pressed in the center of each dumpling. The dumplings are boiled in water and either served warm or left to cool down, then sliced and fried in bacon drippings.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Kroppkaka is a popular Swedish dish from the island of Öland, the smallest province in Sweden. There are many recipes for this dish, but it usually consists of potato-based dumplings that are stuffed with fried onions, bacon, allspice, and white pepper.
These Swedish potato dumplings are typically accompanied by sour cream, melted butter, and lingonberry jam, but they can also come drizzled with lingonberry sauce. A glass of milk or cold beer pairs well with this dish.
Wu gok are traditional dumplings originating from China, and they’re often served as a part of dim sum. In order to prepare the dumplings, taro root is steamed, mashed, stuffed with the fillings, and deep-fried. The dough for wrapping the filling is made with a combination of taro root, flour or wheat starch, lard, salt, sugar, and baking soda.
The filling contains Chinese mushrooms, shrimp, onions, garlic, and ground pork that’s been marinated in soy sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil, and five-spice powder. There’s also a thickening sauce made with a mixture of chicken bouillon, sugar, rice wine, cornstarch, and salt.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
The name palt refers to different varieties of popular Swedish dumplings that are created with grated raw potatoes and various fillings. They are usually associated with the north of Sweden and are commonly referred to as pitepalt, after the city of Piteå, where they are a traditional specialty.
The dough often incorporates rye, barley, or wheat flour, and the most common filling is a mixture of sautéed onions and fried bacon. It is said there are as many palt varieties as there are villages in Sweden, and one of the most intriguing varieties is called blodpalt, which incorporates animal blood.
VARIATIONS OF Palt
MOST ICONIC Palt
Kreplach are traditional Jewish dumplings that originated in Eastern Europe as krepish, fried pastries stuffed with meat. Over the years, the dish changed, and the dish became known as krepl (plural: kreplach) in the Yiddish community.
The dumplings are filled with various ingredients such as chicken, ground beef and herbs, leftover roasted meat, or cheese. The dough for the dumplings is usually made with flour and eggs. The meat-filled kreplach are traditionally served with soup broth in a bowl, but they can also be fried and served on their own.
Pitha is a large group of bread and cakes that are popular throughout Bangladesh and India. The most common base for pitha is rice flour, although wheat or corn flour can also be used. Most varieties of pitha are prepared as small cookies or dumplings that are filled with spices, nuts, or different vegetables, in either sweet or savory versions.
The simplest versions of pitha are filled with jaggery and coconut, while the more complex ones usually include cheese, lentils, and vegetables in the filling. In Bangladesh, pithas are usually reserved for special occasions - family celebrations, weddings, and harvest festivals such as Nabanna and Poush Parban.
VARIATIONS OF Pitha
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Böhmische knödel, or Bohemian dumplings, are yeast-based dumplings made from a dough of flour, yeast, water or milk, eggs, and a touch of sugar and salt. Unlike typical round dumplings, they are shaped into a log and steamed, resulting in an incredibly fluffy and soft texture that absorbs sauces perfectly.
Traditionally served with dishes like goulash, roast pork with sauerkraut, or goose with red cabbage, these dumplings are a staple in Central European cuisine. Optionally, small bread cubes can be incorporated into the dough for added texture. After steaming, it's customary to slice them using a string rather than a knife to achieve cleaner cuts.
What was once used as a garnish in haute cuisine is now its own dish, known as quenelle. Essentially, it is a tender dumpling that is filled with ground meat, poultry, fish, or vegetables, seasoned and combined with breadcrumbs, eggs, fat, flour, or cream.
The dumpling is traditionally oval in shape and poached in water or stock. Today, it is served either as an appetizer or as a main course, although it can still be used as a garnish. Originally, quenelle was invented in Lyon in the 19th century, and it was made exclusively with the flesh of pike–a light white fish.
MOST ICONIC Quenelle
View moreAnolini is a variety of meat-filled pasta with its origin disputed between the cities of Parma and Piacenza, and the most traditional way to enjoy it is in brodo - cooked in a rich meat broth. This hearty dish is an important part of Christmas traditions throughout the region of Emilia-Romagna.
The family members gather on Christmas Eve to make anolini from scratch – each one is handmade, formed by wrapping a mixture of ground meat, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and breadcrumbs in fresh egg pasta dough. This elaborate task is a great introduction for the festive Christmas lunch, when anolini are cooked in meat broth, preferably the one made in terza, meaning with three types of meat: beef, capon, and pork.
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “41 Worst Rated Dumplings in the World” list until February 15, 2025, 17,544 ratings were recorded, of which 12,664 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.