Obatzda is a Bavarian cheese specialty. It doesn’t seem appropriate to call it a Bavarian delicacy because there is nothing delicate about the flavour. Obatzda is a cheese mixture that has a fairly strong smell due to the camembert base. For the uninitiated, it looks like cheddar from a distance but doesn’t have a shred of cheddar in it. You can find Obatzda on any typically German menu in Bavaria and at fests throughout the region as well. Not only can you buy it to go from a supermarket, but you can make it at home in less than 15 minutes!

Ingredients – Basic Recipe

These ingredients are the basic ingredients of the recipe. There are several variations you can make from this, listed below.

250 grams ripe camembert (1 standard-sized camembert or about 1 cup)
50 - 75 grams butter (¼ to ½ cup)
paprika (¼ to ½ tbs)
salt to taste (recommend up to ¼ tsp)
pepper to taste (recommend up to ¼ tsp)
15 ml hefeweizen beer (1 tbs)
1 egg yolk (optional)

Instructions: When the camembert and butter are at room temperature, put them in a medium-sized bowl and mash them together with a fork. The mixture should still be chunky when you are done. It will also be quite thick and sticky at this point. Add the paprika, salt and pepper, beer and if desired, the egg yolk.

I put in both the beer and the egg yolk when I made this. I found that the cheese mixture was too wet. Next time I will leave out the egg yolk, for two reasons: The first is that eating raw yolk is hard for me to process mentally, and secondly, I love hefewiezen! Do be careful about how much beer you add. I suggest a adding less than 15 ml, mixing it in, and then adding the full measure if you think it is necessary. And don’t worry if you don’t have real Bavarian hefeweizen (wheat beer): It does add authenticity to the recipe but use any good beer you have around the house.

Variations and seasoning

Double-cream cheese: Some recipes call for double-cream cheese rather than or in addition to butter. The ratio of cream cheese to camembert is higher, about 1/3 cream cheese to 2/3 camembert. If you make this recipe using 250 grams of camembert, and about 150 grams of cream cheese, you will need to increase the amount of the remaining ingredients slightly.

Romadur cheese: Another alternative to the base recipe is to use equal portions of camembert, butter and Romadur cheese. Romadur is similar in flavour to Limburger the smell and flavour are not quite as strong.

Onion: The most common variation is to add onion. You can use finely diced white onion or spring onion. You can add it directly to the cheese ball or serve the onion sprinkled over the top or on the side. Rings of onion on top of the cheese ball also add to the presentation. I added white onion directly into the recipe. I used about a third of a cup and it was very tasty! But not everyone likes onion so if you are serving this to guests for the first time, I suggest putting the onion on the side.

Recommended seasonings: Try a pinch of cumin, dried mustard, or caraway seeds. Add some chopped parsley or garlic. Substituting spicy paprika for mild paprika.

How to serve Obatzda

Obatzda is normally served with soft prezels or with dark bread. If pretzels are not available where you are, go to a local bakery and find a dark, flavourful bread. In a pinch, rye bread will do. The traditional drink to enjoy with Obatzda is hefeweizen or “weissbeir” as the Bavarians call it. However, if you don’t drink beer, you could try it with wine: choose a cabernet sauvignon or other flavourful wine as the cheese ball will overcome any mild or soft wine.

Serving size: We bought 400 grams for four of us at the Bergkirchweih, the annual beer fest in Erlangen, and it was too much. I recommend planning for 50 – 75 grams per person. For large groups, simply double the recipe.

The truth about Obatzda

The truth of the matter is that many Bavarians do not use a recipe to make Obatzda. Only us non-natives need a recipe to guide us in our quest for authenticity. It truly does not matter if you have a little more cheese, a little less butter, or leave out the salt because of your doctor’s health recommendation.

One way of finding out which variations work best: Make Obatzda using the recipe above. Then split that cheese ball into four parts. Then make four variations: With spring onion mixed in, with white onion on the side, with cumin and with caraway seeds. Serve the four alternatives to your guests and get their opinions. You can also make two versions of the basic recipe: one with butter and one with cream cheese. Then create the variations and sit back and listen to your guests oohing and ahhing over your Obatzda. You can bet that one of the versions will tickle everyone’s fancy!