Bavarian Cheese Spread

Bavarian Cheese Spread, also known as obatzter, obazda, obazde, obazd'n and obatzda, is a strong cheese spread made with ripe Camembert, cream cheese, butter, onions, spices and, of course, beer. It’s a classic Bavarian beer garden recipe, best enjoyed with a cold stein of Weissbier or indeed, your own favorite brew.

The original Obatzda recipe is credited to Katharina Eisenreich who was the innkeeper of the Bräustüberl Weihenstephan from 1920 -1958, a good long run. She served it to her guests as a light snack to accompany their morning beer and soon the idea spread, with many beer gardens creating their own special recipes. 

I'm just going to say that again to make sure you didn't skim by it: morning beer. Why don't we have a morning beer tradition? It sounds like a solid idea, at least on the weekend.

The recipe I’m sharing for this week’s Sunday FunDay Oktoberfest theme is purported to be that original Bavarian cheese spread recipe from the Bräustüberl Weihenstephan. I must confess that I had a certain reluctance to believe that a classic German cheese spread recipe would actually start with a French cheese. So I consulted an American friend who spent time in Germany growing up. Enough time that, in fact, she is fluent in German and is now a qualified German teacher. She kindly checked what she called the “German part of the web” and confirmed the recipe and added a bit more information. 

Bavarian Cheese Spread

Frau Eisenreich's Bavarian cheese spread does start with Camembert, the riper the better. The story there goes that it was created to use cheese that was reaching its use by date and was quite strong. Butter was added to make it milder. And to be authentic, obatzda must be mixed or kneaded together by hand. A side note that I found humorous: Apparently Germans call all cream cheese Philadelphia. 

Ingredients

8 3/4 oz or 250g Camembert cheese

1/3 cup or 70g butter

5 1/3 oz or 150g cream cheese, at room temperature.

4 1/4 oz or 120g onions, minced, plus extra sliced in rings to serve

1/4 teaspoon paprika, plus another pinch for garnish

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 pinch each salt and pepper

7 tablespoons or 100ml Weißbier (weissbier/wheat beer)

Method

Cut the Camembert into small pieces with a sharp knife. This is easier when the Camembert is still chilled. Put it in a large mixing bowl and leave to come to room temperature.

Add butter, cream cheese, chopped onions, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. 

Use your clean hands to thoroughly mix the ingredients together until you have a homogeneous paste. 

Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl, then add in the beer and mix again until all the beer is incorporated, using your hands or a wooden spoon. 

Cover the bowl with some cling film and refrigerate several hours or even till the next day to give the flavors time to combine.

Serve the Bavarian cheese spread sprinkled with a little paprika for garnish, along with brown bread or pretzels, slices of raw onion and, of course, beer. 

It’s Sunday FunDay and we are here to help you celebrate Oktoberfest whether that’s a thing in your neck of the woods or not! Check out all the German fare we are sharing below! 

• Bauernfrühstück (German Farmer’s Breakfast) from Sneha's Recipe
• Bavarian Cheese Spread from Food Lust People Love
• Beer Braised Steak from Palatable Pastime
• Beer Brats on Pretzel Rolls from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Obatzda (Cheese Spread) from Making Miracles
• Oktoberfest Breakfast Casserole from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Sourdough Soft Pretzels from Karen's Kitchen Stories

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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