List of Syrian cheeses facts for kids
This is a list of cheeses from the Levant, a region in West Asia.
People in the Levant have raised animals and farmed for a very long time. Because of this, countries in this area share many similar foods, especially dairy products like cheese. Some traditional cheeses found throughout the Levant include ackawi, baladi, jibneh arabieh, jibneh mshallale, nabulsi, and surke.
Contents
Types of Cheese
Here are some of the most common types of cheese from the Levant:
Ackawi Cheese
Ackawi is a white cheese with a rich flavor. It comes from the Palestinian port town of Akka, now called Acre, Israel. This cheese is usually made from cow's milk. Sometimes, it's made with goat or sheep's milk. You can find ackawi made in Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Palestine.
Baladi Cheese
Baladi is a soft, white, and creamy cheese. It has a mild taste. People often spread it on fresh bread or crackers. It's a popular choice for breakfast or snacks.
Baladi cheese is fresh. It's traditionally made without pasteurization. It uses a mix of goat, cow, and sheep's milk. Because it's so fresh, it usually only lasts for about three days.
Jibneh Arabieh
Jibneh Arabieh means "Arab cheese" in Arabic. It's also called jibneh baida, which means "white cheese." You can find this cheese all over the Middle East. It's very popular in Egypt and parts of Eastern Arabia.
It's a fresh cheese with a milky taste. It's quite salty and medium-firm. This cheese melts very well. You can even boil it before eating. Originally, Bedouins made it with goat or sheep milk. Today, it's often made with cow's milk. People sometimes add a spice called mahleb for a "slightly salty, sweet, and nutty” flavor. Jibneh Arabieh is used for cooking or eaten as a table cheese.
Majdoule Cheese
Majdoule means “braided” in Arabic. This is a salty white string cheese. It is made from thick strands of cheese braided together.
Nabulsi Cheese
Nabulsi is a semi-hard cheese. It's sometimes used in a Palestinian dessert called kenafa or kunafeh. This cheese has a dense texture and melts easily. It can be salty or unsalted. It's made from pasteurized milk from sheep, goats, or camels. Nabulsi cheese is also a base for other sweet-cheese desserts.
Shelal Cheese
Shelal (also known as mshalshe) is another salty, white string cheese. Its strands are woven together. People typically eat it in Lebanon and Syria.
Surke Cheese
Surke (also called sorke or shanklish) is a mature cheese. It's made with spices and usually shaped into balls. These balls are often covered in za'tar or other dry herbs. These herbs can include thyme, oregano, garlic, or chili pepper. It's often eaten as a starter dish with tomato, oil, and sometimes onion.
Jibneh Mshallale
Jibneh mshallale (or, tresse cheese) is a type of string cheese. It comes from Syria. This is a fresh cheese. It's usually made from a mix of milks from cows, sheep, or goats.
Turkomani Cheese
Turkomani (also known as Türkmen) is a soft, porous cheese. It has a delicate flavor. You can eat it fresh or aged in bags made from animal skins. It can be made with non-fat cow’s milk or sheep’s milk.
The word Türkmen used to refer to the lifestyle of nomadic people. These were people who moved around Western and Central Asia during the Ottoman Empire.
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Quesos de Siria para niños
