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- How to make Shankleesh?

Shankleesh is prepared from skimmed cow-yoghourt (Laban), slightly acid (Arisheh acid). It is necessary to boil the Laban with water while stirring up until the mixture breaks up into 2 parts: liquid and solid. The solid part is known to be the "Arisheh acid".

Then, "Arisheh" is put in cheesecloth to drain it (similar process to Labneh). Once all the water is drained, some special herbs and spices are applied to the mixture. Spices such as: soft pepper, cumin and groove. Subsequently, the new mixture produced is turned into small balls and are exposed to the sun to let it dry out slowly in order to keep the balls quite soft.

Once dried, the balls are placed in glass containers and are covered by a fabric so that the cheese balls mature. Several weeks go by before the Shankleesh Cheese is mature or ready to be served on the table. Meanwhile The Shankleesh balls are wiped and washed regularly in order to remove the mould formed. Once matured or ripe, the Shankleesh balls are plunged in an olive oil & lemon bath. They are then coated with Zaatar (dried Thyme).


 

- Can I Order Shankleesh Outside Lebanon?
Currently, we have stopped delivering Shankleesh products outside Lebanon since the shipping fee is high as $84 per 1kg through DHL. But if you are a dealer and you would like to sell our products we can send you from 10kg and over. See the shipping fees* below:
  • Box 10kg/$155
  • Box 25kg/$250
  • Every 1kg added + $8

* Products cost is excluded.
 
 

- Robin: This is my husband's favorite cheese. Can you tell me where I can purchase Shankleesh Stateside?

Unfortunately, we don't have any dealer so far in the USA, but there is a huge list of Lebanese restaurant and cuisine in Conyers which serves shankleesh (shanklish) please take a look at these pages:
 
 

- Carol: I'm pregnant, it is safe for me to eat Shankleesh?

Q: I have been recently sent four balls of shankleesh from Lebanon, a cheese that I like a lot. But since I'm pregnant, I was wondering if it is safe for me to eat the shankleesh since I'm not sure if it is pasteurized or not.

A: Thank you for your question and welcome. I don't know if the shankleesh balls you have right now are made from pasteurized milk or not, it's depend on who made it and how. But I will tell you how the original shankleesh supposed to be made.

First, we use boiled natural cow's milk, (although shankleesh can be made from powder milk), then we transform it into tasty Yogurt (laban), then we remove the butter from it and we heat the yogurt to the boiling point to split. After that we put them in cheesecloth to drain.

I hope this information will help you, but as I said, you have to ask the one who made it.