What exactly does “handkäse mit musik” mean?
Crusty bread, sticky fig jam, golden drizzles of honey—all are popular cheese accompaniments. But how about cheese with a side of music?
Handkäse mit musik—literally “hand cheese with music”—is a traditional dish from Hesse: a German state that encompasses the forested, fairytale villages of the Brothers Grimm’s youth and the financial center of Frankfurt am Main. To create the Hessian specialty, sour milk cheese, known as “Handkäse,” is topped with a mixture of vinegar, oil, minced raw onions, and sometimes caraway seeds. The bold combination of the chewy, dense cheese and tangy vinaigrette naturally elicits strong feelings.
Traditionally, Handkäse was shaped into its signature small pucks by hand, but machine production has become the norm. Hessischer Handkäse has been made for centuries as a staple for the “kleinen leute,” or everyday people, with its first recorded mention in 1813, when it was sold at a market in Mainz.
Made exclusively from cow’s milk, Handkäse holds Protected Geographical Indication status. There are only three Handkäse dairies in the region: Käserei Horst, Käserei Wilhelm Mack IV, and Käserei H. Birkenstock. The last sells a packaged product that combines its Handkäse with an oil-and-vinegar dressing. Lena Birkenstock, a co-partner of Käserei H. Birkenstock, says that Handkäse’s unique flavor, which becomes more piquant as it matures, is what makes it special. “It is also very high in protein but low in fat,” she shares. “This makes it particularly suitable for a fitness diet.”
As for the musik, the story goes that the tunes refer to the flatulence the dish may cause—or the music one should play to hide the bodily sounds that can arise. Amid the jokes and legends, Ursula Heinzelmann, a food and wine writer and historian, thinks it’s much simpler than that: she believes the music is the fun that the marinade brings. “I love the cheese and the uncomplicated, straightforward fun [that the] onions and vinegar add to it,” she says. “It’s not a ‘serious’ fine-dining dish, more something to be enjoyed with a glass of cider after a good, long walk.”
It’s an apt suggestion; Hesse is cider country after all, famous for traditional apfelwein (apple wine). The drink’s acidity also makes it a good pairing for Handkäse mit musik. Both the drink and dish are staples in the region’s cozy cider taverns, like those in Frankfurt’s Sachsenhausen district.
Wherever you happen to enjoy Handkäse mit musik, you’re free to speculate on the sounds. Maybe it’s in the culinary delight from the dish’s unique components, or maybe digestion will deliver the music later on.
Cindy Brzostowski
Cindy Brzostowski is a freelance writer and editor specializing in food, travel, and lifestyle content. Her work has been featured in publications such as Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, Thrillist, Time Out, Allrecipes, and more. Originally from the US, Brzostowski currently lives in the Basque Country. Her fridge isn’t stocked unless it contains at least four different types of cheese.
