labneh

The Levant

Labneh is a common mezze dish and sandwich ingredient, especially in the Levant. A common sandwich in the Middle East consists of labneh, mint, za'atar, and olive on flatbread. It is a common breakfast dip. It is usually eaten spread on a plate and drizzled with olive oil, and often dried mint. It is also often paired as a dip with the mixed herb blend za'atar. Bedouin also produce a dry, hard labneh (labaneh malboudeh, similar to Central Asianqurut) that can be stored; strained labneh is pressed in a cheesecloth and dried out. In Lebanon and Palestine, labneh is rolled into balls and preserved by storing them in olive oil; the balls are sometimes flavored by coating them with herbs and spices such as za'atar, sumac, sesame seeds, nigella seeds, or dried chili flakes. These balls that are preserved in olive oil are commonly known as Labneh Mka'zaleh, Labneh Mda'baleh, or Labneh Mdaḥbaleh.