Obatzda is a Bavarian cheese spread made with ripe Camembert or Brie, butter and paprika. Look for Obazda or Obatzter on a menu. Order it with a pretzel or bread as a Brotzeit, a small meal or snack. The names Obazda and Obatzter have EU geographical protection. Bavarian food register · EU registration
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What is in Obatzda?
Ripe cheese gives it the tang, and butter makes it spreadable. Paprika gives it the colour. The Bavarian food register’s home recipe includes onion, caraway, chives and a little beer. If you’re avoiding beer, check with the kitchen. We prefer it ultra-thick and creamy! Bavarian home recipe
The protected product specification gives two cheese thresholds. At least 40 per cent is Camembert and/or Brie, and at least 50 per cent is cheese in total. The defined production area is Bavaria. For a home version, the state’s recipe uses 300 g ripe Camembert to 80 g butter. Product specification · Home recipe
Where did Obatzda come from?
The beer-garden tradition put ripe soft cheese to use by mixing it with butter and seasoning. The Bräustüberl Weihenstephan in Freising tells its own origin story. The Bavarian food register credits Katharina Eisenreich, the innkeeper there from 1920 to 1958, with helping to make the dish better known. Bavarian food history · Bräustüberl’s history
Where can you try Obatzda in Munich?
Hofbräuhaus lists its Obazda under Brotzeiten, made with Brie and topped with onion rings. You can also look for it at Augustiner-Keller or at Bräustüberl Weihenstephan if you’re visiting Freising. Hofbräuhaus menus · Augustiner-Keller self-service · Bräustüberl menu
We first tried it at Andechs in September 1994. We actually didn’t know what it was but ordered it anyway along with two giant pretzels as our starter before we were to dig into our Schweinshaxe. The salty pretzel and tangy cheese were the combination that made it memorable.