Syrian Arabic Cheese – Recipe & Cooking Guide

Syrian Arabic Cheese – Recipe & Cooking Guide

Syrian Arabic cheese is a fresh, white cheese with a milky flavor and a firm texture. It’s one of the most distinctive and well-known types of cheese in the Levant.

It can be enjoyed in many ways: served at breakfast, added to pasta and pilaf dishes, or even incorporated into desserts such as knafeh. Making it at home is not difficult, and because it’s rich in calcium and protein, it’s considered an excellent food for building strong bones and a healthy body.

Ingredients:

 

• Three and a half liters of fresh milk (pasteurized milk can also be used, but fresh is preferred).

• One tablespoon of table salt.

• One and a quarter tablespoons of citric acid dissolved in a quarter cup of water.

• Half a tablet of rennet (the coagulant used in cheesemaking), dissolved in a quarter cup of water.

• A quarter cup of lipase enzyme, dissolved in a quarter cup of water (this can be substituted with double the amount of rennet).

• One and a half tablespoons of nigella seeds (black cumin).

• Two tablespoons of ground mahlab (a spice made from cherry pits).

Preparation Method:

1. Pour the milk into a deep pot and heat it over medium flame until it reaches a boil, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Once it boils, remove it from the heat and let it cool until it reaches 31°C (about 88°F).

2. Add the citric acid solution while stirring well.

3. Turn off the heat, then add the dissolved rennet and lipase.

4. Cover the pot and place it in a warm, dry spot. If the weather is cold, wrap the pot with towels to retain warmth. Leave it undisturbed for one hour.

5. After one hour, the milk should have turned into a solid mass resembling curds, surrounded by whey.

6. Cut the curds into small cubes, each about a few centimeters wide, using a large kitchen knife.

7. Cover the pot again and let it rest for about 15 minutes to allow more whey to separate.

8. Return the pot to the stove and gently heat it until the curds reach 42°C (about 108°F). Keep stirring very gently and maintain this temperature for about 35 minutes.

9. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 150°C (about 300°F). Once the 35 minutes are up, place the pot in the oven, cover it with a towel, and leave it for another 35 minutes.

10. By the end of this process, the cheese should have reached its final firm consistency.

11. Let the cheese rest for 15 minutes to dry. Then, salt it and store it in the refrigerator for later use.

12. For an extra special flavor, sprinkle with mahlab and nigella seeds before serving.

Enjoy your homemade Syrian Arabic cheese—sahtain! (To your health).