literally: “little God cheater” / meaning: Maultaschen (Swabian dumplings)
Over the centuries, nearly every culture has discovered that putting stuff into pasta dough is just a damn good idea.
Italians have Ravioli, Slavs have Pierogi, Koreans have Dim Sum. And, most importantly, Swabians couldn’t even exist without their Maultaschen. The word (which, in its current form, can be translated to “mouth bag”) was originally used for a slap in the face. This might be due to the dumplings’ resemblance to a swollen cheek after a juicy blow with a flat hand. Even more interesting, however, is the legend of how this German kitchen staple came into existence.
It is said that a monk was looking for a way to eat meat during Lent. He came up with the idea of finely chopping up the meat, dyeing it green with Spinach, and hiding it in dough—so that his sin would remain unseen by the eyes of God. Thus, the name Herrgottsbscheißerle was born, which is still used as an alternative word for Maultaschen by many Swabians today (there also exist many alternative spellings like Herrgottsbescheißerle, Herrgottsbscheiserle and Herrgottsb’scheißerle). If I were a Swabian Catholic, I would certainly risk a session in the confessional box for the indulgence of this treat.
References:
https://www.was-koche-ich.com/warum-heisst-die-maultasche-maultasche/
