It’s that time of the year when Germans bring out their dirndls and lederhosen. The worldly Octoberfest is in full swing in Bavaria at the moment, and the nation is celebrating all the culinary delights this time of year brings.
White sausages, sweet mustard, pretzels, more meat, large pints of beer, arms locked in with your neighbour and swing among the table, and this just for breakfast. Oktoberfest is something you must see to believe. I mean if you think women are weak or not as strong as men, then you have not seen the waitresses dressed in their dirndls carrying about 10L of beer in each hand making themselves through the masses to finally serve you that beer you were longing for.
Oktoberfest is in the south of Germany, in Munich to be exact, and millions of visitors travel to this busy city to put on their dirndls and or lederhosen and party it up from the dusk of dawn until probably the next sunrise. I have been to Oktoberfest once myself, and for me, once is enough. I am getting too old for these crowds. I think you really need to love the traditional music and the locking of arms with your neighbour while swinging back and forth with a smile on your face. Not my cup of tea, but I have to say, doing it once truly, all in all was a great time!
One of the traditional Bavarian cheese dips you can order all year round, or during Oktoberfest, is Obatzda. It’s a mix of brie, camembert, butter, spices and is my personal favourite. You can add sharper cheeses to give it a more pungent taste. This time I made this delicious bowl of goodness, I had some guests over, so I opted on using a softer and subtle brie as I was unsure how many at the table are avid cheese lovers as myself. My husband is of course excluded, as his Dutch self always tends to go for gouda only. Such a pity.
This spread is perfect to smear onto a warm pretzel and top it off with some sliced radishes. If you want to bring some Oktoberfest to your next party, definitely make this recipe, and I can guarantee you might need to go get some more pretzels from the kitchen.
Bavarian Obatzda
200g Brie
30g Butter, room temperature
2 tbsp sour cream
3 tbsp onion, finely diced
1/2 tsp paprika powder, spicy
1 tsp paprika powder, sweet
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp yellow mustard, mid spicy
Salt and Pepper
In a medium bowl mash the brie with a fork until you have a chunky consistency. Add the rest of your ingredients and stir. Once mixed allow it to cool in the refrigerator for about half an hour. Service with sliced radishes and pretzels.
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