A creamy, paprika-spiced spread of soft curd or cream cheese and butter blended with onion, paprika, capers, mustard and caraway, turning a vivid orange. A classic Austrian Brettljause (snack board) staple eaten on dark bread, born from a former Habsburg-region sheep cheese.
Named after the Liptov region of the former Kingdom of Hungary, it became a fixture of Austrian and Viennese snack culture using local quark and butter.
Cool, whipped and creamy, it blooms with smoky-sweet paprika, then sharpens with onion, briny capers and a tickle of caraway. Spread thick on dark rye it is salty, tangy and moreish — the heart of an Alpine snack board.
Whipping softened butter aerates it so it carries the cheese into a light, spreadable emulsion. Paprika's fat-soluble color and flavor bloom in the butter, while onion, capers and caraway provide the sharp, briny contrast that balances the richness.
Variations
Made with sheep's-milk cheese (Brimsen) for authenticity, beer added for spreadability, with chopped gherkins, served as a sausage dip
On the Palate
Where Liptauer sits in the Austrian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6
How it's made
8 steps · 10 min active · 60 min waiting
- 130 min
Let the butter and curd cheese come to room temperature.
- 23 min
Beat the butter until pale and fluffy.
- 33 min
Blend in the soft curd or cream cheese until smooth.
- 43 min
Mix in sweet paprika, finely grated onion, mustard and a little caraway.
- 52 min
Fold through chopped capers and a few anchovy or extra salt to taste.
- 62 min
Season with salt and pepper and adjust the paprika for color and warmth.
- 760 min
Cover and chill at least an hour so the flavors meld.
- 83 min
Mound into a bowl and serve with dark bread, radishes and raw onion rings.
