Leberkase

Leberkase, now that’s a mouthful. Interestingly it actually is a mouthful. Leberkase is German for liver cheese. This cheese is a specialty food that can be found in southern Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland. Leberkase consists of pork, corned beef, onions, and bacon that is finely ground up and baked as a loaf until it has a crunchy brown crust. This meal is very similar to Bologna sausage. Leberkase was invented in 1176 by the cook of Charles Theodore. Unfortunately this story is often times heavily contested. The name Leberkase means liver cheese in German, but the funny thing is the dish doesn’t contain liver or cheese. Although the dish contains no liver or cheese, according to German food laws only products called Bavarian Lerberkasse are allowed to contain no liver. If it is not called this then there must be a minimum liver content of 4%. It’s a very complicated recipe because in some places you have to have more than 4% of liver content in the product. There are a few ways Leberkase is served. More often than not it is served on a semmel/ bread roll. It is served on the roll while it is still hot and is traditionally seasoned with mustard. This version is called Leberkassemel. Another method is cutting cold thin slices of the loaf and using it on a variety of sandwiches. The sandwiches are usually seasoned with pickled cucumbers that make a flavorful meal. There are also different variations of the recipe. Some popular variations include Kaseleberkase and Pikanter Leberkase. Kaseleberkase is a variation that adds small pieces of evenly distributed cheese to the recipe. Pikanter Leberkase is another popular variation that adds small pieces of pickles and bell peppers into the mix. Leberkase has a twisted confusing past but it is supposed to be a great meal. With all of the methods and variations to serving the loaf it most be a big hit.