Leberkäse (info • help) (sometimes called Leberkäs or Leberka(a)s, in Switzerland usually called Fleischkäse) is a meat specialty. It originally was from the South of Germany. It can also be found in Austria and Switzerland. It is similar to meat loaf. It is made of corned beef, sometimes pork, bacon and onions. The ingredients are ground till they are very fine. They are then packed together into loaves. These are baked in an oven, till they get a brown crust.
Who made the first Leberkäse[change | change source]
The cook of the Bavarian duke Karl Theodor is said to have invented Leberkäse in 1776. Many people believe this to be false though. The word "Leberkäse" literally translates to "liver-cheese". There is neither cheese nor liver in the dish, though. Some linguists say, that the word may be related to the German word lab, which means to clot, or the word Laib (loaf). Perhaps it also contains the Slavic root quas (yeast).
What can be in Leberkäse[change | change source]
According to German food laws, only products called "Bavarian Leberkäse" are allowed not to have liver in them; otherwise, there must be a minimum liver content of 4%. Some local variants must contain even more liver; for example, the liver content of "Stuttgarter Leberkäse" must be at least 5%.
Eating Leberkäse[change | change source]
There are several ways of eating Leberkäse:
- Cut into approximately finger-thick slices which are then placed in a semmel while still hot and seasoned with mustard. The result, generally called Leberkässemmel, is a staple of Bavarian and Austrian fast food restaurants.
- Alternatively, the slices can also be pan-fried ("abgebräunt", browned), in which case they are commonly accompanied by a fried egg and German potato salad. This is a very common Biergarten dish sometimes called Strammer Max.
- Cold Leberkäse can also be cut into very thin slices and be used on a variety of sandwiches.