The concept behind a meatball is fairly simple: it’s just ground meat rolled into a ball and cooked. But just like with bread and dumplings, just about every culture has put its own twist on this dinnertime staple. And while some lesser-known meatball recipes might make the list of vintage foods no one makes anymore, Swedish and Italian meatballs remain very popular. But have you ever wondered what the difference is between the two, exactly? Köttbullar, or Swedish meatballs, first appeared in a cookbook back in 1754, and they’ve been a staple in grandma’s cooking ever since. These meatballs consist of beef mixed with pork or veal and seasoned with salt, pepper, onions and allspice. After being rolled into small (1 ounce, on average) meatballs, the dish is traditionally cooked in hot butter. On the other hand, polpette, or Italian meatballs, generally consist of ground beef or veal. While Italian meatballs are also on the …