Chef Elsa
Almjause (Alpine Hut Snack Board)
A wooden board loaded with mountain cheese, juniper-smoked Speck, air-dried Hauswürstel, handmade Liptauer, fresh Kren, and thick-cut Bauernbrot, the way Austrian Almhütten have fed hikers for generations.
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Topfenaufstrich mit Schnittlauch
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Cool, tangy Topfen whipped smooth with sour cream and piled with fresh chives, the way every Heuriger in the Wachau sets it down on a wooden Brettl with dark bread and a glass of Grüner Veltliner.
Appetizers & Snacks
Austrian
Quick Meal
Outdoor Dining
10 min
Active Time
0 min cook•10 min total
Yield4 servings
Every spring, the Heurigen open their doors. You find a table in the garden under the grape arbor, order an Achterl of Grüner Veltliner, and before you've taken your first sip, a wooden Brettl arrives with bread and three or four Aufstriche. The chive spread is always there. It's the one you reach for first.
Topfenaufstrich mit Schnittlauch is about as simple as cooking gets, and I use the word cooking loosely because you're not cooking at all. You're mixing. Topfen, which is Austria's fresh curd cheese (similar to quark, though Austrians will tell you it's not the same thing), gets whipped with sour cream until it's light and smooth. Then you fold in as many chives as your conscience allows. Salt, white pepper, done. The whole thing takes five minutes.
But those five minutes depend on what you put in the bowl. Gretel always said that simple food is the most honest, and honest food has nowhere to hide. If your Topfen is bland, your spread will be bland. If your chives came from a sad plastic packet three weeks ago, you'll taste the difference. This is a recipe that rewards you for buying well, not for working hard. Find the best fresh curd cheese you can, cut your chives from the garden or the market that morning, and let the ingredients do what they already know how to do.
I keep a crock of this in my restaurant kitchen at all times from April through October. It goes on bread, obviously, but it also finds its way onto boiled potatoes, next to smoked trout, into a hollowed-out cucumber for a quick snack when we're between services. It belongs to the warm months.
The Heuriger tradition dates to a 1784 decree by Emperor Joseph II allowing winemakers to sell their own wine and simple cold food directly to the public. These seasonal wine taverns, concentrated around Vienna and in the Wachau, became the birthplace of Austria's Aufstrich culture: a collection of spreads served on wooden boards with dense bread. Topfenaufstrich mit Schnittlauch, Liptauer, and Grammelschmalz form the classic trio. The tradition is protected as a regional cultural practice, and a proper Heuriger still makes its Aufstriche fresh each morning.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
Topfen or quark (full-fat)
Quantity
250g
well-drained
sour cream (Sauerrahm)
Quantity
3 tablespoons
fresh chives
Quantity
1 large bunch (about 30g)
finely cut
fine sea salt
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
white pepper
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground
garlic (optional)
Quantity
1 small clove
finely grated
Bauernbrot or dark rye bread
Quantity
for serving
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Topfen or quark (full-fat)well-drained | 250g |
| sour cream (Sauerrahm) | 3 tablespoons |
| fresh chivesfinely cut | 1 large bunch (about 30g) |
| fine sea salt | 1/2 teaspoon |
| white pepperfreshly ground | 1/4 teaspoon |
| garlic (optional)finely grated | 1 small clove |
| Bauernbrot or dark rye bread | for serving |
Equipment Needed
- •Mixing bowl
- •Fine-mesh sieve for draining
- •Fork or wooden spoon
- •Sharp knife for chives
- •Earthenware crock or wooden Brettl for serving
Instructions
- 1
Drain the Topfen
If your Topfen or quark is wet, spoon it into a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl and let it drain for ten minutes. You want a firm, dry curd, not a puddle. Excess moisture makes the spread runny and dilutes the flavor. Press it gently with the back of a spoon to help it along. What stays in the sieve is what goes in your bowl.
Full-fat Topfen gives you the richest result. Low-fat versions can taste chalky and won't whip as smooth. If you can only find low-fat quark, add an extra tablespoon of sour cream to compensate. - 2
Whip until smooth
Put the drained Topfen and sour cream in a mixing bowl. Beat with a fork or a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth and light, about two minutes of steady work. You're not just combining them. You're aerating the curd so it spreads easily and feels creamy on the tongue instead of dense and pasty. It should look like thick, glossy cream when you're done.
A fork works better than a whisk here. You want to break up the curd and smooth it out, not whip air into it like cream. Steady pressure, not speed. - 3
Season and fold in chives
Add the salt and white pepper. White pepper, not black. Black pepper leaves dark specks in the white spread that look like dirt, and the flavor is sharper than you want here. White pepper is milder, warmer, and disappears into the Topfen like it belongs there. If you're using the garlic, grate it on a Microplane so fine it practically dissolves. Stir it through now. Taste and adjust the salt. The spread should taste clean and slightly tangy before the chives go in.
- 4
Add the chives generously
Fold in the chives. Use more than you think you should. The chives are not a garnish here, they're the whole point. You want to see green in every bite. Reserve a small handful for scattering over the top before serving, but everything else goes into the bowl. Fold gently so you don't bruise the chives or turn the spread green. You want distinct little rings of chive suspended in white Topfen, not a uniform paste.
Cut your chives with a sharp knife in one clean motion. Don't saw back and forth. Dull knives crush chives instead of cutting them, and crushed chives turn black and weep. A sharp knife keeps them bright green and full of flavor. - 5
Rest and serve
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes. The flavors need time to get to know each other. When you're ready, spoon the Aufstrich into an earthenware crock or onto a wooden Brettl, scatter the reserved chives over the top, and set it on the table with thick slices of crusty Bauernbrot or dark rye bread. Pour yourself a glass of Grüner Veltliner. Mahlzeit!
Thirty minutes is the minimum. An hour is better. Overnight is best. The salt draws moisture from the chives and their onion sweetness infuses the Topfen beautifully.
Chef Tips
- •If you can't find Topfen or quark, strain full-fat Greek yogurt overnight through cheesecloth until it's thick and dry. It's not identical, but it gets you closer than cream cheese ever will. Cream cheese is too dense and too fatty for this. Don't use it.
- •Buy your chives from a farmers' market or grow them yourself. Supermarket chives in those little plastic packets are often weeks old and taste like grass clippings. Fresh chives should smell sharp and sweet when you cut them, like onions and spring had a conversation.
- •This spread keeps well in the fridge for three days, but the chives will soften and fade after the first day. If you're making it ahead for a gathering, fold in half the chives the night before and add the rest fresh just before serving.
- •At a proper Heuriger, Topfenaufstrich is one of several Aufstriche on the board. If you want to do it right, make this alongside a Liptauer (paprika-spiced spread) and some Grammelschmalz (crackling dripping). Three crocks, one board, good bread. That's a Jause.
Advance Preparation
- •Topfenaufstrich improves after resting overnight in the fridge. The chive flavor deepens and the salt balances out. Add a fresh scattering of chives before serving to brighten it up.
- •The spread can be made up to three days ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator. Stir once before serving and taste for seasoning, as cold food sometimes needs a touch more salt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 85g)
Calories
105 calories
Total Fat
9 g
Saturated Fat
5 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
3 g
Cholesterol
20 mg
Sodium
315 mg
Total Carbohydrates
3 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Sugars
2 g
Protein
8 g
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