Guest Blog – “Cheese is the glue that holds my life together”

Have a listen To ‘Ein Prosit’ as you read Natalies blog for the full experience!

This latest guest blog comes from our wonderful Bavarian pal Natalie. Natalie came to work with us at Andaluz whilst on her study placement year from the University of Bamberg. She was an absolute joy from start to finish; an amazing linguist, writer and actor with the sunniest disposition. She was only with us for a short while but we soon became firm friends and remain so to this day, having met up with her in Spain and at her family home near Munich over subsequent years.

We hope you enjoy her simple, cheese based recipe; a true taste of the amazing Bavarian Biergarten culture!

Hello cheese-lovers!

Today, I’ll show you a simple, super tasty and very German cheese recipe.

Did you know that in Germany people have breakfast for supper? They call it Brotzeit (literally translated: bread-time). It basically consists of the same ingredients and products they have in the morning, minus the sweet components, such as, jam or honey.

A really popular bread topping for Brotzeit is Obazta which is a Bavarian cheese delicacy and a classic example of Bavarian biergarten food which is usually eaten between 5 and 7 pm. It is prepared by mixing two thirds of aged soft cheese, usually Camembert (Romadur or a similar cheeses) and one third of butter. Sweet or hot paprika powder, salt and pepper are the traditional seasonings, as well as a small amount of beer!

An optional amount of onions, garlic, horseradish, cloves and ground caraway seeds may be used and some cream or cream cheese as well. The cheeses and spices are mixed together into a smooth mass. However, it’s better not to over-smooth it. In my opinion, the best Obatzda is the one that still has some solid bits and pieces in it. Thus, I recommend mixing it by hand and with a fork, rather than with a mixer or blender.

Obatzda is usually eaten spread on savoury pretzels or whole-grain bread. I recommend ac- companying it with pickles, thin slices of horseradish and a cold German pale lager-beer. I also recommend taking this Brotzeit in the garden to get the full Biergarten experience into your home.

If you feel a bit depressed and locked in due to the stay-at-home order (German “Aus- gangssprerre”) and you are beginning to feel some Wanderlust, I recommend putting on some German Biergartenmusik. You’ll find an authentic repertoire on Spotify and YouTube.

Guten Appetit und Prost!
Natalie from Bavaria