Spundekäs
Spundekäs: Mainz-style whipped quark and cream cheese dip with paprika and onion
In Mainz and the wine villages of Rhine-Hesse, Spundekäs is what lands on the table at a wine festival or in a Straußwirtschaft, the pop-up taverns winemakers open in their courtyards in late summer. It is a light, airy whip of quark and cream cheese, sharpened with onion, garlic and plenty of sweet paprika, and it is scooped up with soft pretzels or Laugenbrezel. The name comes from the cone-shaped wooden 'Spund' it was once pressed into. A common mistake is using watery quark straight from the tub, which makes a runny dip; drain it first. Chef's tip: make it a couple of hours ahead so the onion softens into the cheese, then dust with fresh paprika just before serving.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Tip the 9 oz full-fat quark into a sieve lined with kitchen paper and leave it for 10 minutes to drain off loose whey.
10 minStep 2: Beat the quark with 7 oz full-fat cream cheese and ⅔ oz butter for 1–2 minutes until smooth and fluffy; it should hold soft peaks on the spoon.
2 minStep 3: Stir in 1 small onion, 1 clove garlic, 2 tsp sweet paprika, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. Taste and add more paprika if it is pale; good Spundekäs is a clear rosy pink.
2 minStep 4: Pile into a bowl, dust with more paprika and scatter with 1 tbsp chives. Serve cold with pretzels, rye bread or radishes.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does spundekäs take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of full-fat cream cheese?
- Mascarpone, same amount.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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