Bavarian Cheese Spread: Obatzda

If you've ever been to a restaurant or biergarten in the southern German state of Bavaria, you've seen "Obatzda" on the menu. Even if you haven't been to Bavaria, many German restaurants in other parts of the world often serve "Obatzda," especially if they are "Bavarian-themed," as this cheese spread is strongly associated with the very lifestyle of Bavaria, where it is commonly, but not exclusively, served with soft pretzels, called "Brezn" in Bavarian German dialect (standard German uses both "Brezel" and "Bretzel"). One of my German recipe books calls it, "Camembert Cheese Spread,"* and uses ripened Camembert, but you can certainly use "Brie," as well as the more "potent" smelling cheeses like Limburger, Romadur or Tilsiter, although sometimes these cheeses are only used to supplement either Camembert or Brie. As is so often the case with German food, there are regional dialect names for similar cheese spreads, but it is best known by the Bavarian dialect word "Obatzda" (also "Obatzter"), which is a form of "Angebatzter" (mixed together), but I know it from Frankfurt am Main as "Schneegestöber" ("snow shower"), but they don't add beer to the cheese mixture in Frankfurt, and it is often served with a glass of "Ebbelwoi," Hessian dialect for standard German "Apfelwein;" that is, "apple wine," which is "hard apple cider," a Hessian specialty. 

As for variations or substitutions, cream cheese (German: "Frischkäse," literally, "fresh cheese") is used in the preparation, but I've seen recipes that use quark or ricotta. I've also seen recipes that use dark beer (dunkles Bier), while others use light (in color) beer (helles Bier), so make your own choice. I've also seen recipes that do not use onion and some that do not use paprika.** As to texture, originally Obatzda was often mashed up and mixed with a fork, and many people still make it that way, but if you prefer a completely smooth texture, you can use a food processor.  

Ingredients:

9 ounce (approx) *** Camembert, sliced or cut into smaller pieces to make it easier to mash
3 tablespoons butter, softened
5 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 heaping teaspoon caraway seeds
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 to 1/3 cup beer
1 heaping tablespoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt  

If you choose to mash and mix the spread with a sturdy fork, the cheese should be left out to warm a little, as this makes it easier to mash. Likewise, the cream cheese and butter should be softened to make them easier to mix in with the other ingredients. Mash up the cheese and mix in the other ingredients, but gradually mix in the beer until you reach the consistency you desire. If using a food processor, add the ingredients, but start by adding only a couple of tablespoons of beer. After you process the spread briefly, keep adding more beer and process until you get to the desired consistency. Obatzda is best if refrigerated for a minimum of a couple of hours before serving.    

* From "Germany, a Culinary Tour," by Wolfgang W. Reichert, Sigloch Edition, 1994 edition (originally published 1986), printed in Stuttgart, Germany

** Typically in English we say "paprika" for types of ground red peppers, which tend to come in "sweet" or in "hot" (not "usually" blazing hot). The Hungarians and the Spanish are both known for their respective varieties of "paprika" (Spanish paprika commonly has a smoky flavor). In German, "Paprika" ("properly," all German nouns are capitalized, but in today's world of texts and social media, that rule is not always followed, likely causing many "traditionalists" to require oxygen and and a heart monitor)... Let me start again... In German, "Paprika" is commonly used for the actual pepper (bell pepper, for instance, and regardless of color) itself, and it is a shortened form of "Paprikaschote" (literally, "pepper pod"), which is also often used. "Paprikapulver" is more commonly used for the ground red pepper used as a spice. "Pulver," meaning "powder," is a word German borrowed long ago from Latin.   

*** Camembert is "often," but not always, sold in rounds of "about" 9 ounces, but you can certainly use a little more than that; and in fact, if you'd like, you can add an ounce or two of Limburger to the Camembert (or Brie).

"Obatzda" with large soft pretzels, caraway and salt rolls, sliced radishes, halved grape tomatoes and  a glass of "Altbier," a kind of brown ale from Düsseldorf, if the Bavarians will forgive me. 

WORD HISTORY:
Hammer-This word is distantly related to "acme," a word English borrowed from Greek, and to "edge," a word from the Germanic roots of English. It goes back to the Indo European root "ak," which had the notion, "sharp, pointed," which then produced "akmen," meaning, "pointed stone," and the variant form (inverted beginning sounds), "kamer." This gave Old Germanic "hamaraz," meaning, "stone attached to a handle used as a tool for pounding." This gave Old English (Anglo-Saxon) "hamor," meaning "hammer." This then became "hamer," before the modern version. Relatives in the other Germanic languages: German has "Hammer," Low German Saxon has "Hamer," West Frisian has "hammer," Dutch has "hamer," Danish has "hammer," Norwegian "hammer," Icelandic has "hamar," and Swedish has "hammare." The verb came from the noun in the second half of 1300s, meaning, "to strike with a hammer," but then extended to, "strike with a heavy object." German has the verb "hämmern" and Dutch has "hameren," both meaning, "to pound or beat with a hammer or heavy object." I found reference to an Old English verb for "to hammer;" that is, "to beat or pound" ("seemingly" often used about sword making), but I can find no other sources to confirm it, but if it existed, it could well be the actual source of the modern verb. On the other hand, if it existed, it could also have died out allowing the emergence of the modern word directly from the noun.