Leberkäse
A great example of Bavarian fast food. It is often consumed during “second breakfast” or just a snack on the run, usually served in the ubiquitous “Semmel” – a simple roll. Topped with either normal yellow mustard or the Bavarian sweet mustard (see Händlmaier), it can also be ordered in a restaurant. In this case, it is often topped with a fried egg and accompanied by cold potato salad.
But what is Leberkäse? If you look in your dictionary, you will quickly discover the Leber means Liver and Käse means cheese. Trust me though, there is no liver and no cheese in it. The word is a linguistic corruption that occurred over time. Let’s have a look at the history:
Leberkäse was invented over 200 years ago. In 1778, Elector Karl Theodor inherited the throne of the childless Elector Max III from the Palatinate line of the Wittelsbach family. When the elector moved from Mannheim to Munich, he took his butcher with him. Once in Munich, the resourceful butcher achieved his century's work: a mixture of finely chopped pork and beef, which was baked in bread forms to form a crispy loaf. Hence the name "Laibkas", or "Loabikas". (Konradin Medien GmbH, 2020) “Laib” means a loaf, round or oval shaped and "Kas" or “Käs” means a compact mass in Bavarian. There is, for example, “Quittenkäs” – a firm quince marmalade or “Erdäpfelkas,” a spread made from potatoes.
In the local dialect, you can hear people say, Leberkäse, Leberkäs, or also Leberkas. In other parts of the Germany, this type of meat will be called Fleischkäse. Outside of Bavaria, you may see Leberkäse, but then it could be the variety actually made with liver, so careful if that isn’t your thing!
If you are looking at the English menu, it’s anyone’s guess how this dish might be translated. You might see “Liver Cheese,” “meatloaf” or “Bavarian meatloaf.” I was at Neuschwanstein Castle with a guest from the United States and we stopped at a snack counter on the way back down the hill from the castle. Given all the international tourists, there was a German menu and an English menu posted side-by-side above the order window. “Oh, look!” said my guest excitedly, “They’ve got meatloaf!”
Glancing quickly to the German menu and seeing that it referred to Leberkäse, I said, “It’s not the meatloaf you think it is – it’s Bavarian Leberkäse…”
He cut me off abruptly and said, “No, look, it says meatloaf right there” and he promptly ordered it.
The Leberkäse came out on a plate with potato salads and he looked up at me with sad, puppy dog eyes and said, “This isn’t meatloaf!”
>Facepalm<
So, if you come to Munich – or anywhere else in Bavaria for that matter, I recommend you go into a Metzgerei – a butcher shop to get the real local experience. Butchers will usually have a hot line where you can buy a variety of cooked meats – sausages, Leberkäse, etc. Ask for a “Leberkäs Semmel” and enjoy it the way the local’s do! By the way, Semmel is the Bavarian word for Brötchen – a bread roll.
For a taste of how important Leberkäs is in the local culture, here are a few links to enjoy:
How Leberkäs is made: It’s in German, but pretty easy to understand the process of making the Leberkäse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQIcNFITXxU
Leberkas Liad: A song about this beloved snack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rcyomt6LG3s
Leberkäs Junkie: A kultfilm from Bavaria where the main character, a police officer in a village, has terrible cholesterol due to all his eating and drinking.
Voller Gas, Leberkas – An Austrian song about their love of Leberkas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzwdSsPeyg4