Labneh
Also: labne, labaneh, strained yoghurt, yoghurt cheese
A thick, tangy Levantine soft cheese made by straining yoghurt until creamy and spreadable, served drizzled with olive oil and dried herbs or spices.
Identity criteria
- 1Made by straining yoghurt to remove whey until thick and spreadable
- 2Tangy, creamy, soft — between yoghurt and cheese
- 3Salted lightly during straining
- 4Served drizzled with olive oil
- 5Finished with za'atar, mint, or other dried herbs/spices
Components
YoghurtessentialPlain whole-milk yoghurt strained of its whey; the entire substance of the dish
Olive oilessentialThe classic finishing drizzle, essential to how it is served
SaltessentialLightly salted to season and aid straining/preservation
Za'atar or dried mintoptionalCommon topping that defines the breakfast presentation
Technique
- Straining yoghurt
- Draining the whey is the single defining act that turns yoghurt into thick, creamy labneh
- Salting
- Seasons the curd and helps draw out moisture for a firmer set
Form & serving
- Served
- Spread in a shallow dish with a well for olive oil, or rolled into balls preserved in oil
- Temperature
- cold or room temperature
- Portion
- a scoop or spread on a mezze plate
- Pairs with
- flatbread / pita · za'atar · olives · fresh vegetables · mezze spread
Character
Flavour
Texture
thick, smooth, spreadable
Eaten
An everyday Levantine breakfast and mezze staple, spread in a dish with olive oil and herbs and scooped with flatbread.
When
year-round
Variations & related
Regional variations
- Labneh balls in oil · Levant
Strained extra-firm, rolled into balls and preserved submerged in olive oil
- Za'atar labneh · Lebanon / Palestine
Topped generously with za'atar and olive oil for breakfast
- Süzme yoğurt · Turkey
Turkish strained yoghurt, closely related
Related dishes
- ancestor yoghurt
Labneh is simply strained yoghurt
- sibling süzme yoğurt
The Turkish strained-yoghurt counterpart
- pairs-with za'atar
Classic herb topping eaten with labneh and bread
Substitutions
cow's-milk yoghurt → sheep or goat yoghurtadmissible
All are traditional and authentic, with different tang
yoghurt → sour cream or cream cheeseinadmissible
Lacks the tang and the strained-yoghurt identity; not labneh
straining → using yoghurt unstrainedinadmissible
Without straining it is just yoghurt, not labneh
Common mistakes
- Under-straining so it stays loose like yoghurt instead of thick and spreadable
- Forgetting the salt, leaving it flat
- Serving without the olive oil drizzle that defines its presentation
- Confusing it with cream cheese, which lacks the yoghurt tang
Provenance
A staple strained-yoghurt cheese of the Levant and wider eastern Mediterranean, shared across Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, and beyond as an everyday breakfast and mezze food.
Shared by: Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan
References
- 1.Levantine foodways
- 2.eastern Mediterranean dairy tradition
Confidence: high