My friend, Francois Ruche of Jade Organics Importers, recently sent me a “care package” of a couple products he wanted me to sample: Labneh and Halloumi. Last night at our weekly “Cheese Plates” event at Sweet Combs of Honey, I featured the Labneh on the plates. I topped a Dewey’s Meyer Lemon Cookie with a dollop of the Labneh and finished with a schmear of Bonne Maman Raspberry Preserves. The combination was a hit… had I had tubs to sell, it would have been a sell-out.
This morning I decided to duplicate last night’s treat for my breakfast (and added some fresh grapes)… oh my… now I know why my customers were raving.
First a little about Labneh:
Labneh is a Middle Eastern Style Cheese made from yogurt, thicker from extra straining to eliminate as much whey as possible. The extra straining creates a spreadable cheese. The brand from Le Bedouin, is made from both cows’ whole and skim milk powder. Some versions are made with a combination of cow and goat milks.
Because of its thickness, it is sometimes referred to as “Yogurt Cheese”. This brand is produced in Canada and is certified
HALAL by the Muslim consumer group under the brand CEDAR Phoenicia.
Now my thoughts:
The Labneh is tangy, citrusy almost sour in taste. It can be paired with either sweet or savory items, depending on your preference.
I decided to go the sweet route and created a tasting with the lemon cookie, which enhanced the citrus notes. I topped with raspberry preserves and it exploded like a party in my mouth.
The consistency is close to mascarpone, the Italian Cream Cheese made famous in the US by Tiramisu, my favorite Italian dessert. Mascarpone, however, is milder in flavor without the tang.
I still have a little left and plan to try some savory creation with it…
My thanks to Francois and Jade Organics for sharing this creamy gem with me.
In addition to being a member of the Internationale Guilde des Fromagers (Jura and Garde) and an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional, I am a Certified ServSafe Food Production Manager with certifications that also include ServSafe Certified Instructor and Proctor. I am available for cheese events, cheese program development, cheese training, food safety training and 3rd party food safety auditing. See my About Me and Resume pages for more details or call me at 360 921 9908 to discuss availability.
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Mark your calendar: Every Friday night, you can find me slinging cheese plates at Sweet Combs of Honey from 5pm to 7pm while LaDonna is featuring flights of wine.
I sample specialty artisan cheeses most Saturdays at Sweet Combs of Honey: Check out my “Grab n Go” page at Facebook for more information.
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