Short Post: Leberkäse

On By StevenIn Life In Germany

It took me a while to really get used to Leberkäse, but now I think it’s delicious.

Leberkäse, literally translated to “liver cheese,”  doesn’t always have any liver or cheese in it.  It’s kind of like Bavarian meat loaf, and it’s delicious.  Some people compare it to bologna.  It typically consists of corned beef, pork, bacon, and onions, ground together and then baked like a loaf of bread until it has a crunchy brown crust.

One very common way to eat Leberkäse is to make a Leberkäsesemmel- you cut the Leberkäse while still hot in a slice roughly the thickness of a finger, and put it on a semmel (bread roll).  Add some Bavarian sweet mustard, and sometimes sauerkraut, and enjoy.

There are a lot of variants on this food.  I’ve eaten Pizza Leberkäse, and it really did taste like a pizza.  Delicious!    Some other popular variants include cheese or bits of paprika (bell pepper). Generally, though, it just looks like this:

This Leberkäse was eaten at the Weltenburger Klosterbrauerei. It was served with Kartoffelsalat (potato salad) and spicy mustard.

I’m going to be so overweight when I leave Germany.  The food here is just too delicious.

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7 thoughts on “Short Post: Leberkäse”

  1. I am glad you did this post. I had suspicions that it would be like meatloaf but the liver aspect has always put me off trying it. Now, I think I shall, next time I see it on the meu when we’re out. Thanks!

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  2. Johnny B.

    You don’t even like liverwurst? I get a craving for liverwurst I’ll throw myself in front of a speeding train to get some. = ) On rye with stone-ground mustard and a leeeeetle bit of onion please. I just don’t know what happened to people when they left Europe and came to America; even the most “haute” American cuisine would get you knifed if you tried to serve it in Europe, and Bavaria is so far beyond that it just boggles the mind. I really need to find a German restaurant around here…

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  3. Jenny

    I have two additions:
    – They sell Leberkäse mainly in Bavaria, or as a Bavarian specialty. In other parts of Germany it is “Fleischkäse”. The spices can be slightly different, but it is basically the same thing
    – Bavarians also like to eat Leberkäse cold on a Semmel. However, slices are way thinner. Instead, you put 2-3 slices on it (hey, Bavarians like meat and sausage!) and add some pickels

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  5. Sarah1976

    I’ve come around to liking many German foods, but I just can’t with Leberkäse. Maybe it’s my distaste for bologna/mortadella to begin with, maybe it’s the bizarre texture, maybe it’s the fact that it smells like a fart; whatever it is, it makes me want to run the other way.

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