Germknödel

Germknödel is a famous Austrian steamed yeast dumpling. It consists of soft dough which is filled with rum-spiced plum jam. Before serving, the dumpling is generously doused with melted butter or vanilla-based sauce and sprinkled with a considerable amount of poppy seeds. Believed to have originated in the eastern or southern parts of Austria, this unique dessert is nowadays associated with the famous Austrian ski resorts, where it has become an irreplaceable winter staple. Even though germknödel is nowadays consumed as a dessert, this was not the case when it first appeared in Austrian cuisine. Like many other Austrian dishes such as buchteln and kaiserschmarrn, it was invented as the main dish meant to be eaten during Lent, when meat was usually avoided. This is the main reason why it is still served in an unusually large form. Germknödel should always be freshly prepared and served warm. In Slovakia and the Czech Republic, these soft steamed buns are known as parené buchty and buchty na páře. Apart from plum jam, they are occasionally filled with other fruit jams, sweetened fresh cheese, poppy seeds, or chocolate.