h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

In the Nethherlands we have something similar: the frikadel, pronounced frikaNdel of which the plural is frikadelleN. Over here, they are made up from just about all kinds of wast meat minced together. The form is also a bit different: it's a long cilinder shape. About 20 centimeters long, with a diameter of about 3 centimeters. At least those are my estimates from memory. You buy them, deep fryed, at "de snackbar".

That sounds like sausage. Are they spicey?

Well, sausages have skins, don't they? Frikadellen don't. And they're not really spicey. A bit. So i would'nt call them sausages. Oh and sausages aren't usually deep fried like french fries and frikadellen are, so...

But Dutch frikadellen don't just look different, I found them to taste quite different to the ones from Germany. The Dutch ones seem to be made from much cheaper meat, possibly with less binding agent or bread, and minced much smaller - good German frikadellen have a knobbly texture with lumps recognisable as meat, and are delicious cold with mustard and a bread roll.

Do the Dutch ones sometimes also come on sticks like a meat lolly, or is that something different?

In general, Dutch takeaway food (excepting the Indonesian stuff) is absolutely awful. It seems to consist of minced and shaped meat (sometimes with an odd fibrous texture) which is then deep-fried. It tastes uniformly dreadful. It's a real shame, because the Dutch frites (especially with fritesaus or satay) are amongst the very best in the world.

Frikadells?! I used to eat them in Belgium!! We had the sausage version that they cooked in the deep frier with chips - not spicy at all but oh so yummy!!

Ahh...the memories....

Frikadells? I like that

But it is officially Frikadelle*n* Change it, dammit, change it!

We know that they are frikadellen in the Netherlands but can anyone say what they are called in Germany for definite?

Frikadellen! My German teacher said so.

Hmmm... My German *dictionary* doesn't give a plural. Frikadelle.

The German (official?) word is "Frikadelle", female, so rather "die Frikadelle" the plural is "Frikadellen". The whole affair goes by different names depending on where you are in Germany. The words "Bulette" or "Fleischklops" are usually associated with "Frikos" (which is the slang plural of Frikadelle) as well.

Definitely Frikadellen on every menu in Dusseldorf, but I think the article's more about the Danish version - which may well pluralise with an "R" - I ain't gonna tell no Vikin' how to spell, no sirree!

I'll ask jj42 at floor 42 if you like.

There is no definite name in Germany, it depends in which part of the country they are made. You already know Bullette (plural: Bulletten), used in the North-Eastern part of Germany. In Northern Germany they use to call them Frikadelle (pl.: Frikadellen). In the Southern part of Germany, mainly in Baden-Wuerrtemberg, they are called Fleischkuechle, means something like a "cake" made out of meat. In Bavaria they call them Fleischpflanzerl. I cannot explain why because I'm a Swabian. They usually have the size of a muffin and are fried in a pan. You can eat them either with potato salad, mushed potatoes and vegetables or just in a Broetchen (roll).

In Sweden they're called "en frikadell", many "frikadeller", just as in Denmark, but in Sweden it's more common with meatballs, "köttbullar". I really don't know the difference between them, it could just be different names for the same thing. Anyone else?

I might as well post it here, too:
En frikadelle - flere frikadeller
(one frikadelle - more frikadeller)

Most of the time in Danish, plural is made by adding an 'r' or 'er' but another common variant occur like with 'slot'
(castle) where you have:
et slot - flere slotte

And to give another one : fjernsyn (television) is the same in singular and plural. (Although we will often use TV
as well)

Thanks, everyone - and jj, you de man!

If you're making your own, adding some grated carrot gives a nice taste, colour and texture and relieves the heaviness of eating solid meat (with or without varying proportions of breadcrumbs)

The traditional German recipes do not use breadcrumbs, but a soaked, day-old white bread roll, which is then squeezed out and mixed in with the meat. This also loosens up the texture, although I prefer to used 100% meat (with maybe some of aforesaid carrot and onion and, of course, seasoning. These fry very quickly in a frying pan, if you use good meat.)

The Germans use half pork and half beef, or all pork. Mincemeat can be bought already mixed half and half.

The last expression in my title is the very local pronunciation and name for meatballs, which are, basically the same recipe.

If the meatballs are boiled rather than fried, they are called Königsberger Klopse, (i.e. Danish origin) These should, however, be officially made with veal and served with a white sauce spiced with capers. A good meal for large numbers of people.

The Bulettenbude in Berlin (now evolved into a Pool Party) includes a long conversation on this subject in German.

I actually think they also have some kind of "Frikadeller" in south Africa (supposingly because of the Dutch) I don't really know whether their good or bad, but I saw a recipe for South African "Frikadelles" in a cookbook - The Chilenium Cook-book