Obatzda is a Bavarian cheese delicacy made by blending aged, soft cheeses, butter, and seasonings. It is traditionally served on bread or pretzels as a biergarten snack. The base is usually Camembert or Romadur, seasoned with black pepper, salt, and paprika, and can include onions, chives, and garlic. It is a popular side dish in German beer gardens.
Obatzda is a luscious Bavarian cheese delicacy made by gently blending a combination of aged, soft cheeses, butter, and seasonings. The result is a delicious concoction with a texture similar to heavy cheese that is traditionally spread on bread or pretzels as a biergarten, or beer garden, snack. Obatzda cheese is usually mature Camembert or Romadur, although any soft, well-ripened cheese can be used. Seasonings added to the cheese and butter base include black pepper, salt, and paprika. Finely chopped onions, chives, and garlic are also often included according to taste.
In early spring, German outdoor culture shakes off the cobwebs of winter and begins to prepare for the balmy days and nights of summer. Much of the outdoor action during this time takes place in the beer garden or beer garden. Besides the masses of good company, good music and, of course, good beer, there’s always a decadent spread of home-cooked snacks and side dishes in the average beer garden. One of the most popular of these is the Obatzda, a quintessential beer garden side dish that can be found on most beer garden tables across Germany.
This Bavarian delicacy is essentially a sauce and topping for very rich and sometimes very pungent cream cheeses. The Obatzda base is a combination of two-thirds soft, aged cheese and one-third butter. Traditionally the component of the cheese is Camembert, the riper the better, but this can be tempered to suit the less adventurous pallet by combining Camembert with Romadur or Limburger. The cheese is combined with the butter to form a thick, smooth paste with the texture of heavy cream cheese. At this point, individual tastes take over with the addition of various fresh herbs, vegetables and seasonings.
Traditionally most Obatzda bases are seasoned with sweet or hot paprika, black pepper and salt. The paprika gives the pasta a characteristic saffron to red hue and adds to the unmistakable taste of the dish. Depending on local brewery traditions or personal preference, finely chopped onions, chives, garlic, shallots, cumin, or cumin seeds may find their way into the mix. The obatzda is then served in a bowl to be spread on the wide range of breads or to be dipped into the ubiquitous beer garden pretzel.
Cream cheese lends itself well to experimenting with its ingredients. Very outgoing aged cheeses can be substituted for less aggressive varieties, and the possible list of toppings and vegetables that can be added is nearly endless. The traditional Obatzda is, however, still the best accompaniment to a salty pretzel and ice-cold Dunkles beer if you want to capture the magical essence of the German biergarten.
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