Flavors · Trentino-Alto Ádige

Canederli

Bread dumplings made from stale bread mixed with milk, eggs and speck, cheese or herbs, cooked and served in broth or with melted butter. They are the dish of both provinces of Trentino-Alto Adige, where they are also called Knödel.

Traditional dish from Trentino-Alto Ádige

Also known as: Knödel, canederlo, Speckknödel, Semmelknödel

Updated November 2026

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Canederli — Trentino-Alto Ádige, Italy — Canederli

Canederli — Trentino-Alto Ádige, Italy

Canederli were born as a way to use up old bread. The bread, cut into cubes, is moistened with milk and mixed with eggs, a little flour, onion and chives. The most common version contains speck, the region’s smoked ham, but there are canederli with cheese, spinach, nettle, mushrooms and even sweet ones with apricots or plums. The dough is shaped into balls the size of a small orange and cooked in water or broth.

They can be served two ways: in hot meat broth, like a soup, or dry, with melted butter and grated cheese. They also accompany meat dishes, such as goulash.

The dish is old. A 12th-century fresco in the chapel of Appiano Castle, in Alto Adige, shows a woman eating canederli. The recipe is known throughout the Alpine arc and Central Europe. In Alto Adige, where German is the majority language, the name is Knödel; in Trentino, where Italian is spoken, canederli. Recipes vary from valley to valley.

The dish has no single town of origin and belongs to the cuisine of both provinces. Several valleys organize festivals dedicated to canederli, featuring tastings of savory and sweet versions and workshops to learn how to make them.

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Where it comes from

Trentino-Alto Ádige
Traditional dish of the two provinces of the region, called canederli in Trentino and Knödel in Alto Adige, with no single town of origin.

Ingredients

Stale bread, milk, eggs, flour, onion, chives and speck; variations with cheese, spinach, nettle or mushrooms; meat broth or butter and cheese for serving.

How it is eaten

In meat broth, like a soup, or dry with melted butter and cheese; also as an accompaniment to meats.

When it is eaten

All year round, especially in cold months.

Your questions

Questions about Canederli

Are canederli and Knödel the same thing?

Yes. Canederli is the name used in Trentino, where Italian is spoken, and Knödel in Alto Adige, where German is spoken.

How are canederli eaten?

In hot meat broth or dry, with melted butter and cheese.

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