All across Israel, pots and pans are perennially filled with ktzitzot — a Hebrew term that literally means bullets, but encompasses many types of patties and meatballs. They tell diverse and rich stories of heritage, immigration, marriages, and friendships. Some ktzitzot find their ways into sandwiches at fast-food stalls, others are eaten hot at home or cold the next day straight from the refrigerator.   

The history of ktzitzot is as ambiguous as their definition. Some claim the Romans were the first to form a meatball as a way of using up leftover meat. In a Roman cookbook from the 5th century C.E. (or earlier), breadcrumbs, herbs, and spices are blended into the meat, just like in our modern-day iterations. The birth of the patty in what was then the Persian Empire happened almost simultaneously; this beef- or lamb-based patty later became the Middle Eastern and Turkish kefta. This is also where the onion appears as a companion to breadcrumbs, egg, and herbs (primarily parsley), which will become the sacred triad of many patties.

Israel’s various Diaspora cuisines offer a wide variety of ktzitzot — there are wonderful Tunisian boulettes sandwiched between slices of potato and served in tomato sauce, which remind us of mafrum, a dish from Tripoli. In old school Ashkenazi kitchens, there are klops with a hard-boiled egg inside. The Ashkenazi knish, too, is a distant relative — a potato-wrapped patty if you think about it. And we haven’t even mentioned chicken meatballs with peas, or Moroccan fish patties. In this collection, you will find ktzitzot recipes from many backgrounds in many shapes and flavors.