Salty strain of yoghurt set to usurp sour cream

YOGHURT, IF you think about it, is a remarkable product of milk — transformed by hardworking bacteria into something that looks and tastes so different. And with a little salt, fabric and time, there is another transformation that the yoghurt can make into something deliciously tangy, namely labneh.

What is more, if you hope to bring your Shavuot cooking slightly more into line with healthy-eating ideals, labneh can be a good fix, as it has only about half the calories of its tangy cousin, sour cream. Consider dropping some on to blintzes or, for true fusion cuisine, into a bowl of borscht.

Labneh is a Middle Eastern strained and salty yoghurt which, due to its popularity in Israel, has made inroads in to international kosher cuisine. It is one of those foods that sounds awfully unappealing from its description and production method, for “strained and salty” hardly has an elegant ring to it but it is worth looking past this and tucking in.

Labneh is sold ready-made in tubs. The yoghurt has been transformed into labneh by having salt added and being strained for hours through a cloth or special strainer. The consistency becomes thicker than that of yoghurt as the whey drips down, while the salt changes the taste. If you are feeling ambitious, try making your own — it may take a few attempts to get it right but there are plenty of recipes online.

There is a great versatility to labneh. You can use it as you would hummus and dip crackers or pitta into it. It works as an accompaniment to hot dishes, especially spicy ones for which you may like a cooling accompaniment. It is delicious on thin slices of oven-baked aubergine and on roasted vegetables. And it goes well in sandwiches — normally not as the main filling but added to a mix of flavours.

You can leave labneh with its bright white colour and its signature flavour, or add finely-chopped vegetables and stir. Try topping labneh with oil and spices, often olive oil and za’atar. Fruit and nuts, for example pomegranate and pistachio, also work well. While you can buy labneh ready-topped, it is tastier to add your own extras at home. If you are not watching the calories, treat yourself to labneh balls that are sold steeped in olive oil — but remember to remove the jar from the fridge a few minutes before you plan to serve them, as otherwise the oil solidifies and looks unattractive.

Unlike many dairy products, labneh is a keeper — it stays fresh for a long time in the fridge. After all, yoghurt keeps well and salt is a preservative.

And once you have explored labneh as a food, you can experiment with other purportedlyeffective uses, which include face masks. If you try this and it doesn’t work, at least you get to lick your labneh-covered lips.