Hungarian Liptauer cheese sandwich spread
“Körözött” (in Hungary) or Liptauer is a curd mixed sandwich spread with ground red pepper and caraway seeds, which can be made from sheep’s curd or a halved mixture of sheep and cow curds, but many people make it only from the latter.
The finished curd, perhaps chilled a bit in the refrigerator, is eaten as an appetizer on a sandwich, toast or crackers.
Liptauer in other countries
The Liptauer sandwich spread is a traditional snack served for example at wine-drinking taverns in Austria and Hungary. Many families in Slovakia and Hungary have their own recipe for the dish. Liptauer is available in the majority of Serbian restaurants that serve local cuisine. It’s frequently spiced up with paprika, roasted red peppers, and egg yolks.
It is found in the regional cuisines of Slovakia (as Šmirkás, a variant of the German Schmierkäse for cheese spread), Hungary (Körözött), Austria (Liptauer), Slovenia (liptaver), Serbia (urnebes salata, “chaos salad”), Croatia, Albania (liptao), Italy (particularly in the province of Trieste), and Romania (particularly in Transylvania).
The most characteristic ingredients of this sandwich spread
Spreadable white cheeses such as cottage cheese, chives and paprika are the three main ingredients. Bryndza, a sheep’s milk cheese, makes up about a third of “traditional” Liptauer. Cottage cheese and goat cheese are also used. These are combined with sour cream, butter or margarine and finely chopped onion; sometimes beer is added. Ground paprika, fresh parsley, and whole (or ground) cumin are common spices. Other ingredients used in variations include prepared mustard, Worcestershire sauce, capers and anchovy paste.
Ingredients:
- 300 g of farmer cheese (curd) or bryndza
- 1 cup of sour cream
- 1 tbsp of paprika
- 1 small red onion
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp ground caraway
- salt to taste
Steps:
- Mix thoroughly the bryndza with grated onion, sour cream, and spices.
- Put in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- Spread on fresh bread and enjoy!
Watch our video about this recipe: