Also, known as obatzter, obazda, obazde or obazd’n, obatzda is a strong cheese spread made with very ripe Camembert, cream cheese, butter, onions, spices and, of course, beer. It’s a classic Bavarian beer garden dish, best enjoyed with a cold stein of Weissbeir or indeed, your own favorite brew.
The Original Obatzda – Bavarian Cheese Spread – Photos by Stacy Rushton
The creator of the original obatzda recipe was Katharina Eisenreich, the innkeeper of the Bräustüberl Weihenstephan from 1920 -1958. 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.
The recipe I’m sharing for this week’s Oktoberfest theme is purported to be that original obatzda 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 now a qualified German teacher. She kindly checked what she called the “German part of the web” and confirmed the recipe.
The Bavarian cheese spread, obatzda, 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.
- 8¾ oz or 250g Camembert cheese
- ⅓ cup or 70g butter
- 5⅓ oz or 150g cream cheese, at room temperature.
- 4¼ oz or 120g onions, minced, plus extra sliced in rings to serve
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
- 7 tablespoons or 100ml Weißbier (wheat beer)
- 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.
- 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 a day or two to give the flavors time to combine.
- Serve the obatzda with brown bread or pretzels, slices of raw onion and beer.
No Oktoberfest celebration in your area? There is now! Sunday Supper is throwing a virtual one. Check out all the great, hearty German fare we have for you today. All you need to bring is the beer! Many thanks to our event manager, Marion of Life Tastes Good and today’s host, Cricket of Cricket’s Confections for all of their hard work!
Appetizers (die Vorspeisen)
- German Pancake Soup (Flädlesuppe) by Caroline’s Cooking
- German Potato Pancakes by The Crumby Cupcake
- Homemade Pretzels with Kids by Hardly A Goddess
- Kräuterbutter (German Herb Butter) by Tara’s Multicultural Table
- Latke and Sauerbraten Poutine by Monica’s Table
- Obatzda – Bavarian Cheese Spread by Sunday Supper Movement
- Warsteiner Fondue by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Breakfast (das Frühstück)
- German Apple Pancake by The Chef Next Door
- Peach Fritters by Pies and Plots
Condiments (die Gewürze)
- Pickled Red Onions by What Smells So Good?
- Spicy Beer Mustard by Food Lust People Love
Main Dish (die Hauptgerichte)
- Bavarian Sausage & Cabbage Soup by Food Done Light
- Beef Goulash Recipe by Positively Stacey
- Beer Mac and Cheese by Moore or Less Cooking
- Berlin Potato Soup by My Imperfect Kitchen
- Bierocks by Mindy’s Cooking Obsession
- Bratwurst Sheet Pan Dinner by A Mind Full Mom
- Burgers with Bacon-Sauerkraut Jam by Palatable Pastime
- How to Make Traditional German Sauerbraten by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
- Oktoberfest Beer Brats by Wholistic Woman
- Oktoberfest Chicken Chili by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
- Oktoberfest Fondue 3 Ways by Momma’s Meals
- Pork chops with Sauerkraut and Apples by Brunch-n-Bites
- Roasted Apple & Beer Chili For Oktoberfest by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
- Sausage, Pepper, and Onion Kebobs w/ a Boiled Cider Drizzle by The Freshman Cook
- Schwenkbraten (Grilled German Pork Chops) by Curious Cuisiniere
Side Dish (die Beilagen)
- Fried Potatoes German Style by My Life as a Cookbook
- German Potato Salad by Tramplingrose
- Ginger Beer Sauerkraut by Cricket’s Confections
- Herbed Spaetzle by The Hungry Goddess
- Krautsalat (German Coleslaw) by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Oktoberfest Potatoes by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Dessert (der Nachtisch)
- Apple Tart by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Kaiserschmarrn Recipe by Plated Cravings
- Nana’s Gluten Free German Chocolate Cake by Gluten Free Crumbley
- Rote Grütze (Fruit Pudding) by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
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I’ve got to try this! I love cheese dip with my pretzels!
It’s kind of spicy from the onions, Heather. I loved it and hope you will too!
I love obatzda!
Me too, Conni! I’m so glad to have found it!
I love the sound of it! And the origin is pretty funny!! I’ll probably use fresher Camembert 🙂
I should amend my explanation to say that, Liz. A younger Camembert can be used for a milder obatzda. But honestly, once the cream cheese and butter and onions were in, it was absolutely delicious. Not too strong.
This looks amazing! I guess their Philadelphia is sort of like our Q-Tip.
I’ve never had this and totally feel like I’ve missed out!
love the use of cumin and other spices in this spread! Definitely making this one!
Great info in this post Stacy. Thanks.
Yum! Love Obatzda! I think we ate our weight in this while staying in Munich.