amlit13
Liptauer Hungarian Cheese Spread
Ingredients:
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 3 oz salted butter softened
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 Tbsp onion finely chopped
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1/3 tsp salt
- 1 tsp prepared mustard
Instructions:
Step 1: Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and blend using an electric hand mixer or wooden spoon. Do this until cheese is fluffy.
Step 2: Put the spread into a sealed container for at least 1 hour before serving. The Liptauer cheese will last for 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Step 3: Liptauer is traditionally served on rye or pumpernickel bread but Pita chips and crackers work as well.
ESSAY:
Liptauer is a spicy cheese spread appetizer that comes from Hungary. Growing up my Grandmother always told me how my family had come from Austria-Hungary and this is one recipe she has continued to make. She has a very specific way of making it that I thought was so different, but, as it turns out, it is a pretty basic and common way to make it. A lot of the time, the recipe calls for goat cheese but my grandmother has always done cream cheese. Another big inclusion in this dish is capers, but my family also has never included it in their recipe.
There is a controversy surrounding the origin of Liptauer, as people feel it is German or even Slovakian. People debate and argue as they feel it is a recipe that holds a strong connection towards their heritage. Cultures hold their recipes for this dish close to their heart. Liptauer also is made differently by some people who may use just cottage cheese or even goat cheese.
An exciting aspect of the cheese spread dish is the variety of ways it is made with such a simple list of ingredients. It was used to make an appetizer dish that could be served cold with some bread on the side. Pita chips can also be used for the side dish to add a crunchy chip and hummus type dish. For a creamier dish people usually aim for goat cheese, while the cream cheese gives it a whipped texture. It is meant to be spicy using a lot of paprika for the kick in the back of the throat.
Culturally, the dish is used in quite a few different origins of the east. Certain aspects are changed in different places while some may not use capers or garlic, but others may use multiple cheeses to add to the taste of the dish. This is a stem of something I had realized over the course of making the dish and finding out more about it. The idea food can actually cause arguments about its background and make people defensive is something that has been mentioned in almost all of the things we have read. Ethnicity and food relation have diversity and people want to feel the connection to it. When talking to my grandmother about this dish it was entertaining to me how she was so protective of it and made a point to say that it is Hungarian.
In Barbara Kingsolver’s book, she focuses a lot on how people can easily live their lives buying local foods. This dish was common in Hungary as the access to the small list of ing