labneh: n. A fresh cheese made from strained yogurt, popular in the Middle East, that is served as a spread or formed into soft balls.
Several of us here at the Kitchn were traveling over the holidays, and this is just one of the foods we fell in love with while eating overseas. We ate labneh for breakfast every morning while on a trip to Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.
Unfortunately, we kept forgetting to bring our camera to breakfast. But this photo from Flickr shows labneh in the making. It is essentially a soft, fresh cheese made from strained yogurt, and it's served much like hummus, spread on a platter and topped with olive oil. We liked it even better formed into golf ball-sized lumps that were rolled in dried herbs or dotted with seeds.
Labneh has a very mild flavor and creamy consistency. We spread it on our eggs and on flat bread, topped with cucumbers. While hummus, tabbouleh, and baba ghanoush are common on meze platters, we don't see labneh as much in the U.S. (or maybe we've just failed to notice until now).
It's not hard to make, either. Here's a recipe:
• Homemade Labneh Balls, from Swirl & Scramble
Anyone make labneh at home? Or do you have a go-to source for buying it?
Related: Making Cheese at Home: A Round-up of Cheese-Making Kits
(Image: Flickr member Mevrouw Cupcake, licensed under Creative Commons)
© 2010 Apartment Therapy
My great uncle is Lebanese and every year we make a huge feast of homemade middle eastern food. Kibbeh, tabbouleh, lamb and rice stuffed grape leaves, hummus, cucumber sauce etc etc. Usually the prep and cooking of it takes at least a week. Labneh though is one of those things that is super easy and we make year round.
Here is a very good authentic recipe for plain labneh.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Labneh-Lebanese-Cream-Cheese/Detail.aspx
view mlleErica's profile
in brooklyn, they sell labneh at sahadi's. also, several restaurants serve it, including miriam, zaytoons, black iris, and waterfalls cafe.
view bebklyn's profile
I'm Lebanese, but I've always had labneh as a yogurt that we just put on things like kafta. The stuff I've had doesn't have a "cheese" consistency, but more a thick yogurt. I love the stuff.
view foodporncess's profile
I loooove labneh. Interestingly enough, i just discovered it about a year ago, at a restaurant, and immediately sought it out for home use. Found it pretty easily at Fairway. Deeeelicious!
view mh330's profile
Labneh with figs, honey, and chunks of crusty bread... yum! It's one of my go-to appetizers (or after-school snack, or dessert, or breakfast...). I first found it at Agata & Valentina, but Whole Foods usually has it in stock...I believe I saw it at Trader Joes, too. Look near the yogurt.
view kakatie's profile
At Damascus Bakery, just down Atlantic Ave from Sahadi's, they've been carrying goat labneh. Now that's something.
view Samplehop's profile
I first made labneh for a recipe from 101 Cookbooks. It was divine - bulgur, spinach and roasted tomatoes, dotted with creamy labneh. I'll have to try eating labneh as you suggested above - sounds delicious!
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/a-beautiful-bulgar-and-spinach-pilaf-recipe.html
view callista21's profile
i'm a lazy girl so i use coffee filters and put the strainer right in the sink overnight. then stir in cucumber salad (cucumbers, olive oil, salt, pepper, dill or spices, lemon, onions, whatever) and serve with crusty ciabatta.
heaven.
view Joan in SB's profile
Mmmm we call it Lebne, but however you spell it, it is delicious and decadent, though I am sure not lo-cal. It is lovely when mixed with nuts.
view marid22's profile