It’s September, and contrary to the name, it’s time for Oktoberfest! The food served at Oktoberfest is world famous. Bavarians are well known for giant festival pretzels called Brezeln. The bigger the better! They can be served with butter, mustard or a cheese spread called Obatzda, which I’m sharing today. Oktoberfest actually began as a celebration of the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese Saxe-Hildburghausen in 1810, who later became King and Queen of Bavaria. This celebration took place on October 12 but now starts earlier on September 20 to lengthen the celebration and have more favorable weather.

Obatzda is a simple but impressive cheese dish consisting of Brie, paprika, shallots and caraway seeds. Obatzda means “something mixed,” which refers to the added ingredients. It gets its signature rust color from plenty of sweet paprika. The flavor is punchy from caraway seeds and shallots, but it mellows out thanks to the Brie and beer. Oh, yes, this Bavarian specialty does indeed contain beer! Similar to a Southern beer cheese spread, Obatzda uses traditional Weissbier. I like to use a Hefeweizen, but you can use any German beer you like in this recipe.

Beyond pretzels, the most popular Oktoberfest dish is Hendl, or half roast chickens. So popular in fact, the famous chicken dance is said to be inspired by this delicious Oktoberfest staple. Vegetarians shudder at the sheer volume of meat served at Oktoberfest. Bratwurst, curry wurst, pork knuckle (mmm, doesn’t that sound appetizing?), schnitzel, sauerbraten, ham hocks and whole suckling pigs are common meat treats. There are a few vegetables to be found in the form of radish salad, sauerkraut and braised red cabbage. For dessert, Bavarian candied almonds, gingerbread cookies or apple strudel can be found at the many food stalls. This Oktoberfest, consider celebrating at Epcot’s German pavilion or Sanford’s Hollerbach German Restaurant. While not all the way to Munich, I’m going to enjoy this Oktoberfest in the adorable little Bavarian-style mountain town of Helen, Georgia. I hope they serve Obatzda!

Obatzda Cheese Spread (recipe makes about 1 cup)

Ingredients

1 cup Brie or Camembert cheese (rind removed, softened at room temperature)

2-3 tablespoon German beer (Hefeweizen or any German beer)

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon whole caraway seeds

1/2 shallot (finely minced)

Salt and pepper

Green onions or chives (minced, optional)

Fresh, soft pretzels or bread for serving

Instructions 

1. Allow Brie or Camembert cheese to sit at room temperature for an hour. Remove the rind fully and discard. Use a fork to mash the cheese in a small mixing bowl. 
2. Use a few tablespoons of beer to soften and mix the cheese evenly into a smooth spread. Sprinkle in salt, pepper, paprika, caraway seeds and finely diced shallot. This spread tastes even better if chilled in the fridge an hour before serving.
3. Garnish with minced chives or green onions and serve with fresh, soft pretzels. Alternatively, this spread works well with toasted slices of baguette or toasted dark rye bread. I think it tastes best with a bread of some sort, but it’s also pretty delicious with some crunch honey pretzel sticks.