It is believed that Jews began placing matzo balls in their soup as Eastern European cuisine began introducing dumplings in traditional foods, and Jews were adapting them to their dietary restrictions and culinary tastes. Some historians posit that the copious amounts of matzo meal produced during the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, others believe that Jews used the crumbs leftover from matzo baking to produce the filling additions to their soup. The exact origins of matzo balls – and the traditional matzo ball soup – are unknown. See Knödel for further information about the origin of the word and the food itself. However, there was controversy whether that was indeed the definitive spelling of the term, with others preferring ' knaydel', ' kneydel', ' knadel', or ' kneidel'. Thirteen-year-old Arvind Mahankali of New York spelled ' knaidel' correctly in accordance with Webster's Third New International Dictionary, the official dictionary of the Bee, to become the champion. The various transliterations of the term gave rise to minor controversy in June 2013, when it was the winning word in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Transliterations in the plural include: knaidels, knaidlach, knaidelach, kneidels, kneidlach, kneidelach, kneydls, kneydels, and kneydlach.

Alternate transliterations of the Yiddish term for matzah ball, in the singular, include: knaidl, knaidel, kneidl, and kneidel. Transliterations of knaidel Īlthough there are official transliterations of Yiddish words into English by the YIVO Institute, there are many non-standard transliterations. Matzah balls made from some recipes float in soup others sink.

The texture of matzah balls may be light or dense, depending on the recipe. Matzah balls are traditionally served in chicken soup and are a staple food on the Jewish holiday of Passover, though they are not eaten during Passover by those who observe a prohibition on soaking matzah products. Matzah balls ( Yiddish: קניידלעך kneydlekh pl., singular קניידל kneydl with numerous other transliterations) or matzo balls are Ashkenazi Jewish soup dumplings made from a mixture of matzah meal, beaten eggs, water, and a fat, such as oil, margarine, or chicken fat.

Matzah Ball Fairy by Behrman House