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The original article briefly introduced cheeses from Syria, including some information about their characteristics and origins. However, I felt the original was not sufficiently well-supported or robust to address issues of relevancy and accuracy. Despite the challenges in locating expert or peer-reviewed sources on the topic, I believe these final edits improve the depth and useful context/content for anyone seeking information about Levantine cheeses, while remaining respectful of the culture.
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= '''List of Levantine Cheeses''' =
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This is a '''list of Syrian cheeses'''. There are numerous varieties of Syrian cheese found throughout the Levant including ''[[Nabulsi cheese|kenafa]]'', ''[[Shanklish|surke]]'', ''[[Baladi cheese|baladi]]'', and ''[[Tresse cheese|tresse]]''.
This is a '''list of cheeses from the eastern Mediterranean region of West Asia known as '''the [[Levant]]'''.

Due to the extensive history of livestock and agricultural domestication in the area since ancient times, nations in the Levant share highly similar foods, particularly dairy products like cheese. There are several traditional varieties of cheese most commonly found throughout the [[Levant]], including [[Akkawi|''ackawi'']], [[Baladi cheese|''baladi'']], [[Jibneh Arabieh|''jibneh arabieh'']], [[Tresse cheese|''jibneh mshallale'']], [[Nabulsi cheese|''nabulsi'']], and [[Shanklish|''surke'']].<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Mefleh |first=Marina |last2=Darwish |first2=Amira M. Galal |last3=Mudgil |first3=Priti |last4=Maqsood |first4=Sajid |last5=Boukid |first5=Fatma |year=2022 |title=Traditional Fermented Dairy Products in Southern Mediterranean Countries: From Tradition to Innovation |url=https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/8/12/743 |journal=Fermentation |language=en |volume=8 |issue=12 |pages=743 |doi=10.3390/fermentation8120743 |issn=2311-5637 |via=Fermentation}}</ref>


== Types of cheese ==
== Types of cheese ==
Some of the most common types of [[cheese]] from [[Syria]] are:
Some of the most common types of [[cheese]] from the [[Levant]] are:


=== Ackawi ===
=== Ackawi ===
[[File:Akawi Cheese.jpg|thumb|''[[Akkawi]]'' cheese served with cherries]]
[[File:Akawi Cheese.jpg|thumb|''[[Akkawi]]'' cheese served with cherries|267x267px]]
''[[Akkawi|Ackawi]]'' (also ''Akawi'' and ''Akawieh'') is a white cheese with a complex flavor. It is an Arab Palestinian cheese originating from the Palestinian town of Akka, today [[Acre, Israel]] (''Akka'' in Arabic), commonly made using pasteurized cow's milk but can be made with goat or sheep's milk. It is produced on a large scale in [[Israel]], [[Jordan]], [[Syria]] and [[State of Palestine|Palestine]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cheese.com/ackawi/|title=Ackawi - Cheese.com|website=www.cheese.com|access-date=2019-01-22}}</ref>
''[[Akkawi|Ackawi]]'' (also ''Akawi'' and ''Akawieh'') is a white cheese with a complex flavor. It is an Arab Palestinian cheese originating from the Palestinian town of Akka, today [[Acre, Israel]] (''Akka'' in Arabic), commonly made using pasteurized cow's milk but can be made with goat or sheep's milk. It is produced on a large scale in [[Israel]], [[Jordan]], [[Syria]] and [[State of Palestine|Palestine]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cheese.com/ackawi/|title=Ackawi - Cheese.com|website=www.cheese.com|access-date=2019-01-22}}</ref>


=== Baladi ===
=== Baladi ===
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''Baladi'' is fresh, traditionally unpasteurized, and uncultured and is made with a mixture of goat, cow and sheep's milk. Its diverse microflora, high moisture, uncultured, and unpasteurized nature tend to limit shelf life to three days.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cheese.com/baladi/|title=Baladi - Cheese.com|website=cheese.com|access-date=2019-01-22}}</ref>
''Baladi'' is fresh, traditionally unpasteurized, and uncultured and is made with a mixture of goat, cow and sheep's milk. Its diverse microflora, high moisture, uncultured, and unpasteurized nature tend to limit shelf life to three days.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cheese.com/baladi/|title=Baladi - Cheese.com|website=cheese.com|access-date=2019-01-22}}</ref>

=== Charkassiyea ===
''Charkassiyea'' is a soft, fresh cheese.{{clarify|further information required|date=April 2021}}


=== Jibneh Arabieh ===
=== Jibneh Arabieh ===
[[File:Jibneh-arabieh jibneh-baida cheese.jpg|alt=Three thick white blocks of arabieh/baida cheese are stacked atop a wooden serving board.|thumb|200x200px|Blocks of [[Jibneh Arabieh|jibneh arabieh]]/baida cheese]]
''[[Jibneh Arabieh]]'' ([[Arabic]] for "Arab cheese") is a simple cheese found throughout the [[Middle East]] and is particularly popular in [[Egypt]] and [[Eastern Arabian cuisine|Eastern Arabia]]. The cheese has an open texture and a mild taste.
[[Jibneh Arabieh|''Jibneh Arabieh'']] ([[Arabic]] for "Arab cheese") is also referred to as ''jibneh baida'' ("white cheese"). It is found throughout the [[Middle East]] and is particularly popular in [[Egypt]] and [[Eastern Arabian cuisine|Eastern Arabia]]. It is a fresh cheese with a milky quality, a pronounced saltiness, medium-firmness, and excellent meltability. It can also be boiled before eating.


While the product originated with [[Bedouin]]s, using goat or sheep milk, current practice is to use cow's milk. ''Jibneh Arabieh'' is used for cooking, or simply as a table cheese.<ref>{{cite book | title=International Cuisine | publisher=Wiley | year=2008 | pages=418 | isbn=9780470410769}}</ref>
While the product originated with [[Bedouin|Bedouins]] using goat or sheep milk, the current practice is to use cow's milk and to add [[mahleb]], a spice ground from pits of the ''Prunus mahaleb'' cherry for a "slightly salty, sweet and nutty” flavor.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kasbo |first=Benita |date=June 2020 |title=Jibneh (Syrian Cheese) |url=https://kasbosmarket.com/ |website=Kasbo’s Market}}</ref> ''Jibneh Arabieh'' is used for cooking or simply as a table cheese.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vachon |first=Pamela |date=2022-05-02 |title=How the Syrian Cheese Jibneh is Made and Enjoyed |url=https://www.cheeseprofessor.com/blog/jibneh-syrian-cheese |website=The Cheese Professor |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | title=International Cuisine | publisher=Wiley | year=2008 | pages=418 | isbn=9780470410769}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Fabricant |first=Florence |date=April 25, 2022 |title=Try Jibneh Seasoned with Mahleb from Kasbo’s Market |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/25/dining/jibneh-kasbos-market.html |url-status=live |work=The New York Times}}</ref>

⚫
=== Jibne Baida ===
''Jibne baida'' (Arabic for "white cheese") is a hard white cheese with a pronounced salty taste, often boiled before eating.


=== Kenafa ===
=== Kenafa ===
''[[Kenafa]]'' is an unsalted, very fresh, soft cheese that melts easily. It is used to make the popular cheesecake-like dessert that is sometimes called ''Kenafa'', mainly in [[State of Palestine|Palestine]] and [[Egypt]]. It can also be used as a base for other sweet-cheese desserts.
''[[Kenafa]]'' is an unsalted, very fresh, soft cheese that melts easily. It is used to make the popular cheesecake-like dessert that is sometimes called ''kenafa'', mainly in [[State of Palestine|Palestine]] and [[Egypt]]. It can also be used as a base for other sweet-cheese desserts.


It is sold frozen because there is no salt in it (limiting shelf life) and is available in both retail and bulk packages.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cookforsyria.com/recipe/knafeh/|title=Knafeh|last=Syria|first=Cook For|website=Cook For Syria|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-01-22}}</ref>
It is sold frozen because there is no salt in it (limiting shelf life) and is available in both retail and bulk packages.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://cookforsyria.com/recipe/knafeh/|title=Knafeh|last=Syria|first=Cook For|website=Cook For Syria|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-01-22}}</ref>


=== Majdoule ===
=== Majdoule ===
''Majdoule'' is a salty white [[string cheese]] made up of thick strands braided together. This is why it’s named “Majdoule”, which means “braided” in Lebanese.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Accad |first=Joumana |date=2011-03-06 |title=String cheese |url=https://www.tasteofbeirut.com/string-cheese/ |access-date=2024-01-26 |website=Taste of Beirut |language=en-US}}</ref>
''Majdoule'' (or, ''madjoul'') is a salty white [[string cheese]] made up of thick strands braided together. This is why it’s named “Majdoule”, which means “braided” in Lebanese.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Accad |first=Joumana |date=2011-03-06 |title=String cheese |url=https://www.tasteofbeirut.com/string-cheese/ |access-date=2024-01-26 |website=Taste of Beirut |language=en-US}}</ref>
[[File:Nabulsi cheese.jpg|alt=White nabulsi cheese studded with black caraway seeds in a vacuum-sealed package.|thumb|267x267px|Firm, white [[Nabulsi cheese|nabulsi]] cheese studded with black caraway seeds]]

⚫
=== Nabulsi ===
[[Nabulsi cheese|''Nabulsi'']] is a semi-hard cheese that is sometimes called by its Jordanian dessert name, [[Kenafa|''kenafa'']], or ''kunafeh''. It has a dense texture and melts easily. This cheese can be either salted or unsalted and is made from pasteurized milk from sheep, goats, or camels. It is also used as a base for other sweet-cheese desserts.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Haddadin |first=Malik SY |last2=Gammoh |first2=Sana I |last3=Robinson |first3=Richard K |date=2007-10-31 |title=Seasonal variations in the chemical composition of camel milk in Jordan |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022029907002750 |journal=Journal of Dairy Research |volume=75 |issue=1 |pages=8–12 |doi=10.1017/s0022029907002750 |issn=0022-0299}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Haddad |first=Moawiya A. |title=Jordanian Soft Cheeses. Kunafeh and Other Products |date=2021 |work=Chemical Profiles of Selected Jordanian Foods |pages=49–56 |url=https://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-030-79820-8_5 |access-date=2024-03-25 |publisher=Springer International Publishing |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-79820-8 |isbn=978-3-030-79819-2 |last2=Yamani |first2=Mohammed |last3=Abu-Romman |first3=Saeid M. |last4=Obeidat |first4=Maher}}</ref><ref name=":1" />


=== Shelal ===
=== Shelal ===
''Shelal'' is a salty white string cheese made up of strands woven together.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shelal Cheese (Full Fat – Half Fat) - Reyhan Evi Dairy Producer |url=https://www.reyhanevi.com/product/shelal-cheese-full-fat-half-fat/ |access-date=2024-01-26 |website=Reyhan Evi |language=en-GB}}</ref>
''Shelal'' (also known as ''mshalshe'') is a salty, white string cheese made up of strands woven together. It is typically consumed in Lebanon and Syria.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shelal Cheese (Full Fat – Half Fat) - Reyhan Evi Dairy Producer |url=https://www.reyhanevi.com/product/shelal-cheese-full-fat-half-fat/ |access-date=2024-01-26 |website=Reyhan Evi |language=en-GB}}</ref>
[[File:Shanklish.jpg|alt=A white ball of Levantine cheese called shanklish is cut in half and covered in spices.|thumb|145x145px|[[Shanklish]] cheese cut in half[[File:Shanklish cheese balls.jpg|alt=Firm, white shanklish cheese balls covered in spices in a vacuum-sealed bag.|thumb|209x209px|Shanklish cheese balls]]]]


=== Surke ===
=== Surke ===
''[[Surke]]'', also called ''sorke'' or ''shanklish'', is a mature cheese made with spices and generally presented as balls covered in ''[[za'tar|za'tar orchile]]'' powder; most often eaten as a starter dish with tomato, oil and sometimes onion.
''[[Surke]]'' (also called ''sorke'' or ''shanklish'') is a mature cheese made with spices and generally presented as balls covered in ''[[za'tar|za'tar orchile]]'' powder or other dry herbs (thyme, oregano, garlic, and/or chili pepper).<ref name=":0" />


It is most often eaten as a starter dish with tomato, oil, and sometimes onion.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/on1035639713 |title=Global cheesemaking technology: cheese quality and characteristics |date=2018 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Ltd |isbn=978-1-119-04615-8 |editor-last=Papademas |editor-first=Photis |location=Hoboken, NJ |oclc=on1035639713 |editor-last2=Bintsis |editor-first2=Thomas |editor-last3=Robinson |editor-first3=R. K.}}</ref>
=== Tresse cheese ===
⚫
[[Tresse cheese]], also known by its Arabic name ''Jibneh mshallaleh'' is a form of [[string cheese]] originating in [[Syria]].<ref>[[Gourmantic]], [http://www.gourmantic.com/2010/03/22/syrian-string-cheese/ Syrian String Cheese]</ref>


=== Turkomani ===
=== Jibneh Mshallale ===
⚫
''Jibneh mshallale'' (or, [[tresse cheese]]) is a form of [[string cheese]] originating in [[Syria]]. It is a fresh cheese, typically made from a combination of milks from cows, sheep, or goats.<ref>[[Gourmantic]], [http://www.gourmantic.com/2010/03/22/syrian-string-cheese/ Syrian String Cheese]</ref>
''Turkomani''{{clarify|what cheese?|date=April 2021}} is a soft porous cheese with a delicate flavor.


==Other milk products==
=== Turkomani ===
''Turkomani (''also known as ''Türkmen'') is a soft, porous cheese with a delicate flavor that can be consumed fresh or aged in bags made from animal skins. It can be made with non-fat cow’s milk or sheep’s milk.


Rather than emphasizing ethnic affiliation, ''Türkmen'' was a general term that historically referred to the lifestyle of nomadic peoples across Western and Central Asia during the Ottoman Empire.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Turkmen Fringe Cheese - Arca del Gusto |url=https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/ark-of-taste-slow-food/turkmen-fringe-cheese/ |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=Slow Food Foundation |language=en-US}}</ref>
=== Kashta ===
''[[Qishta|Kastha]]'' (or ''Kishta'') is a type of heavy cream that holds a prominent place in Middle Eastern cuisine. Traditionally, it is made by skimming the thickest part of the cream from whey. The product is used both as an ingredient in cooking and is mixed with honey to be eaten as a very rich dessert. When stored properly in the refrigerator, Kashta can last up to 60 days.


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 08:02, 25 March 2024

List of Levantine Cheeses

This is a list of cheeses from the eastern Mediterranean region of West Asia known as the Levant.

Due to the extensive history of livestock and agricultural domestication in the area since ancient times, nations in the Levant share highly similar foods, particularly dairy products like cheese. There are several traditional varieties of cheese most commonly found throughout the Levant, including ackawi, baladi, jibneh arabieh, jibneh mshallale, nabulsi, and surke.[1]

Types of cheese

Some of the most common types of cheese from the Levant are:

Ackawi

Akkawi cheese served with cherries

Ackawi (also Akawi and Akawieh) is a white cheese with a complex flavor. It is an Arab Palestinian cheese originating from the Palestinian town of Akka, today Acre, Israel (Akka in Arabic), commonly made using pasteurized cow's milk but can be made with goat or sheep's milk. It is produced on a large scale in Israel, Jordan, Syria and Palestine.[2]

Baladi

Baladi is a soft-white, smooth, creamy cheese with a mild flavour, usually spread on fresh bread or crackers and most often eaten for breakfast or snacks.

Baladi is fresh, traditionally unpasteurized, and uncultured and is made with a mixture of goat, cow and sheep's milk. Its diverse microflora, high moisture, uncultured, and unpasteurized nature tend to limit shelf life to three days.[3]

Jibneh Arabieh

Three thick white blocks of arabieh/baida cheese are stacked atop a wooden serving board.
Blocks of jibneh arabieh/baida cheese

Jibneh Arabieh (Arabic for "Arab cheese") is also referred to as jibneh baida ("white cheese"). It is found throughout the Middle East and is particularly popular in Egypt and Eastern Arabia. It is a fresh cheese with a milky quality, a pronounced saltiness, medium-firmness, and excellent meltability. It can also be boiled before eating.

While the product originated with Bedouins using goat or sheep milk, the current practice is to use cow's milk and to add mahleb, a spice ground from pits of the Prunus mahaleb cherry for a "slightly salty, sweet and nutty” flavor.[4] Jibneh Arabieh is used for cooking or simply as a table cheese.[5][6][7]

Kenafa

Kenafa is an unsalted, very fresh, soft cheese that melts easily. It is used to make the popular cheesecake-like dessert that is sometimes called kenafa, mainly in Palestine and Egypt. It can also be used as a base for other sweet-cheese desserts.

It is sold frozen because there is no salt in it (limiting shelf life) and is available in both retail and bulk packages.[8]

Majdoule

Majdoule (or, madjoul) is a salty white string cheese made up of thick strands braided together. This is why it’s named “Majdoule”, which means “braided” in Lebanese.[9]

White nabulsi cheese studded with black caraway seeds in a vacuum-sealed package.
Firm, white nabulsi cheese studded with black caraway seeds

Nabulsi

Nabulsi is a semi-hard cheese that is sometimes called by its Jordanian dessert name, kenafa, or kunafeh. It has a dense texture and melts easily. This cheese can be either salted or unsalted and is made from pasteurized milk from sheep, goats, or camels. It is also used as a base for other sweet-cheese desserts.[1][10][11][8]

Shelal

Shelal (also known as mshalshe) is a salty, white string cheese made up of strands woven together. It is typically consumed in Lebanon and Syria.[12]

A white ball of Levantine cheese called shanklish is cut in half and covered in spices.
Shanklish cheese cut in half
Firm, white shanklish cheese balls covered in spices in a vacuum-sealed bag.
Shanklish cheese balls

Surke

Surke (also called sorke or shanklish) is a mature cheese made with spices and generally presented as balls covered in za'tar orchile powder or other dry herbs (thyme, oregano, garlic, and/or chili pepper).[1]

It is most often eaten as a starter dish with tomato, oil, and sometimes onion.[13]

Jibneh Mshallale

Jibneh mshallale (or, tresse cheese) is a form of string cheese originating in Syria. It is a fresh cheese, typically made from a combination of milks from cows, sheep, or goats.[14]

Turkomani

Turkomani (also known as Türkmen) is a soft, porous cheese with a delicate flavor that can be consumed fresh or aged in bags made from animal skins. It can be made with non-fat cow’s milk or sheep’s milk.

Rather than emphasizing ethnic affiliation, Türkmen was a general term that historically referred to the lifestyle of nomadic peoples across Western and Central Asia during the Ottoman Empire.[15]

References

  1. ^ a b c Mefleh, Marina; Darwish, Amira M. Galal; Mudgil, Priti; Maqsood, Sajid; Boukid, Fatma (2022). "Traditional Fermented Dairy Products in Southern Mediterranean Countries: From Tradition to Innovation". Fermentation. 8 (12): 743. doi:10.3390/fermentation8120743. ISSN 2311-5637 – via Fermentation.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  2. ^ "Ackawi - Cheese.com". www.cheese.com. Retrieved 2019-01-22.
  3. ^ "Baladi - Cheese.com". cheese.com. Retrieved 2019-01-22.
  4. ^ Kasbo, Benita (June 2020). "Jibneh (Syrian Cheese)". Kasbo’s Market.
  5. ^ Vachon, Pamela (2022-05-02). "How the Syrian Cheese Jibneh is Made and Enjoyed". The Cheese Professor.
  6. ^ International Cuisine. Wiley. 2008. p. 418. ISBN 9780470410769.
  7. ^ Fabricant, Florence (April 25, 2022). "Try Jibneh Seasoned with Mahleb from Kasbo's Market". The New York Times.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ a b Syria, Cook For. "Knafeh". Cook For Syria. Retrieved 2019-01-22.
  9. ^ Accad, Joumana (2011-03-06). "String cheese". Taste of Beirut. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
  10. ^ Haddadin, Malik SY; Gammoh, Sana I; Robinson, Richard K (2007-10-31). "Seasonal variations in the chemical composition of camel milk in Jordan". Journal of Dairy Research. 75 (1): 8–12. doi:10.1017/s0022029907002750. ISSN 0022-0299.
  11. ^ Haddad, Moawiya A.; Yamani, Mohammed; Abu-Romman, Saeid M.; Obeidat, Maher (2021), "Jordanian Soft Cheeses. Kunafeh and Other Products", Chemical Profiles of Selected Jordanian Foods, Springer International Publishing, pp. 49–56, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-79820-8, ISBN 978-3-030-79819-2, retrieved 2024-03-25
  12. ^ "Shelal Cheese (Full Fat – Half Fat) - Reyhan Evi Dairy Producer". Reyhan Evi. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
  13. ^ Papademas, Photis; Bintsis, Thomas; Robinson, R. K., eds. (2018). Global cheesemaking technology: cheese quality and characteristics. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. ISBN 978-1-119-04615-8. OCLC 1035639713.
  14. ^ Gourmantic, Syrian String Cheese
  15. ^ "Turkmen Fringe Cheese - Arca del Gusto". Slow Food Foundation. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
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