Kachkéis divides Luxembourg into two camps, and the camp that loves it is considerably larger. It is a soft, pale gold cheese spread with a stretchy, almost elastic texture and a mild tang, sold in tubs and eaten on a Schmier, a slice of bread, with a thin layer of mustard underneath. Similar spreads exist in Lorraine and Franche Comté, where it is called cancoillotte, but Luxembourgers will tell you, kindly and at length, that theirs is the original.

In Luxembourg most people buy it ready made, since the lean sour milk cheese it starts from is sold in every supermarket there. Elsewhere you can make a very close version from quark or farmer cheese, melted gently with a little baking soda and butter, the way country cooks in the region did before the tubs arrived. It travels well in a jar, spreads in seconds and makes the most satisfying sandwich at any circuit with a picnic area.

The cheese spread

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) low fat or full fat quark
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 4 tablespoons (60 g) butter
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) whole milk or light cream
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 pinch black pepper

The Schmier

Ingredients

• 6 thick slices crusty white or mixed grain bread
• 2 tablespoons Luxembourg mustard
• 1 small onion or 2 scallions

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