Spundekäs
Photo: User:Kandschwar, edit by Rainer Z ... · CC BY-SA 3.0

History

Spundekäs comes from the Rheinhessen wine villages across the river, where cellar masters whipped fresh cheese with butter and paprika into a shape recalling the Spund, the bung of a wine barrel. Frankfurt's taverns and festival stands absorbed it decades ago as a partner for both Riesling and Ebbelwoi, and it now sits beside Handkäs on menus like Apfelwein Wagner's as the milder, richer of the city's two cheese rituals. At the Rheingauer Weinmarkt on the Fressgass it is practically the official food.

Book a food experience

Tours, tastings and classes from the cities on this page, bookable on GetYourGuide.

Browse all food experiences

Common allergens: Milk, Gluten

Make it at home

Yield Serves 6 as a snackHands-on 15 minTotal 1 hr 15 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 300g full-fat quark
  • 150g cream cheese
  • 80g very soft butter
  • 1 small onion, grated fine
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, plus more to dust
  • Salt, white pepper
  • Pretzels or dark bread to serve

Method

  1. Beat the quark, cream cheese and butter until completely smooth and light.
  2. Work in the grated onion, paprika, salt and pepper.
  3. Chill for an hour to firm, then mound or pipe into a dome and dust with paprika.
  4. Serve with pretzels or dark bread and something cold to drink.

Tip from the editors. The butter must be genuinely soft or the spread turns grainy; season boldly, as chilling mutes both salt and paprika.

Where to eat spundekäs

Spundekäs in Frankfurt

Apfelwein Wagner ★ 4.6

€€ GermanSachsenhausen

Apfelwein Wagner proves Frankfurt tradition is a budget cuisine: Handkäs at €5.10 and Rippchen with kraut under €15 on Schweizer Strasse every day.

TryHandkäs mit Musik at €5.10, Grüne Soße at €14.50

TipOrder Handkäs and a Schoppen for the cheapest authentic Frankfurt dinner going; bread comes with it, and nobody hurries you out.

Directions

All Frankfurt signature dishes →

More places near Apfelwein Wagner

Not on this list, but close by, nearest first. Every one is in our guide with its address, hours and what to order.

More cities are in research. Want spundekäs covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

Browse all dishes →