Labneh or Laban (Lebanese Strained Yogurt)

So I've been doing a little digging to see how you guys are finding my site and what pages are the most popular, and surprisingly enough, it is my Middle Eastern/Persian posts that are my top viewed pages.

Here are the most popular:

• Persian Chickpea Cookies - This is a great cookie alternative that uses chickpea flour instead of regular flour.
• Persian Spinach and Noodle Soup - The ones who can't get an exact recipe from their Persians mom go straight to the web for one.
• Nocochi Cafe in Montreal - This cafe sounds very similar to the chickpea cookies.
• Persian Pastries from Arya Market - Who can resist Persian Pastries!?
• Pomegranate and Jello Dessert - Ok, so this one didn't legitly make it on to the most popular list but its a really great dessert that Persians make that is fun and mind blowingly simple to make.

I keep telling myself I need to write more about the Persian and Middle Eastern foods I make at home because I never want to forget this stuff. And I know that if I don't write it down, I will forget! The foods I learn to make or the products I come across are really cool, and I think you will think the same too!

My latest discovery is Labneh or Laban, a thick strained yogurt spread that is common in the Middle East, in countries like Lebanon, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. It's consistency is right in the middle of yogurt and cheese and kind of resembles a thick cream cheese. It is sour like yogurt and is commonly used as a spread or dip. The fat content is about 10%, which is similar to a low fat cheese.

Although labneh is not Persian, Persians also eat it which is how I discovered it. CK's family uses it as a spread for their Kookoo (omelet) sandwiches, which I will explain more in a later post!

I bought my Labneh from Mid-East Food Centre. I like to buy the freshly made labneh from the cheese counter but they also sell pre-packaged labneh as well.

Check out this cool Majdouli Cheese that I also buy at Mid-East Food Centre.

Mid-East Food Centre
1010 Belfast Road
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Telephone: 613-244-2525