Knish
Knishes with mashed potato and fried onions | |
| Alternative names | Knysh |
|---|---|
| Type | Snack, side dish, finger food |
| Region or state | Ukraine, United States, Israel, other countries with a significant Ashkenazi Jewish population |
| Created by | Ukrainians (original version), Jewish communities in Central and Eastern Europe (modern version) |
| Main ingredients | Mashed potatoes, dough, ground meat, sauerkraut, onions, kasha, cheese |
A knish or knysh (/kəˈnɪʃ/ or /knɪʃ/, Ukrainian: книш) is a traditional food of Eastern European origin, characteristic of Ukrainian and Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine. It typically consists of a filling covered with dough that is baked or sometimes deep fried.
In most traditional versions, the filling is made entirely of mashed potato, kasha (buckwheat groats), or cheese. Other varieties of fillings include beef, chicken, sweet potatoes, black beans, or spinach.
Knishes may be round, rectangular, or square. They may be entirely covered in dough, or some filling may peek out of the top. Sizes range from those that can be eaten in a single bite hors d'oeuvre to sandwich-sized.