It’s that time of the year again- the biggest and most famous beer festival in the world has already begun. Contrary to its name Oktoberfest starts the last two weeks in September and ends in the first week of October. If you’re looking for some fancy explanation as to why, the reason is simple and quite down to earth. It’s simply because of the weather. The days are longer and not as rainy in Semptember, so the fest was moved due to better weather conditions.

But this little detail doesn’t stop or decieve the milions of people who come to the festival every year. The Oktoberfest if definitely something worth seeing, people dressed in dirndl and lederhosen, big festive tents, the weitresses carrying huge beer mugs and the festive atmosphere spread through the city.

But since not everyone has the chance to visit, why not organise your own small Oktoberfest at home with friends? Sure it would be smaller, but you will get better chances of getting a table, which is not always the case at the Oktoberfest.

Except beer of course you would need some typical bavarian food. From roasted chicken to roasted pork leg, knödel, hearty soups and salads- Oktoberfest offers a wide range of bavarian food. So before I show you something else, good and proper, I thought I’ll start with a classic Obatzda, which is, simply put, a cheese spread. This is something you can easily find in any beer garden, served with a roll or with breze. And it’s of course also served at the Oktoberfest.

This recipe makes a small 200ml glas of Obatzda, which, depending on how big the bread slices are, is enough for 5-6 slices. If you want more, simple double the ingredients. You can keep it in the fridge 3-4 days.

125g camembert, mature

15g soft butter

50g cream cheese

20g onion

fresh chives or spring onions

salt and pepper

1 tsp sweet paprika powder

2 tbsp milk or beer

Cut the white crust off the cheese, and cut the cheese in to small cubes. Place it all in a bowl and mash it with a fork. Add the butter and cream cheese and combine everything together. Peel the onion and chop it finely, then add to the cheese. Mix it well, and season with salt and pepper and sweet paprika. Add a little bit of milk, or beer, to make it creamier. Serve sprinkles with chives or spring onions.

The Obazda won’t have smooth consistency, but that is just as it should be.