Labneh with Za'atar
Thick, tangy strained yogurt swirled with good olive oil and fragrant za'atar — the Levantine dip that has been on the breakfast table for thousands of years, and is only just now getting the global recognition it has always deserved.
- 2 cupslabneh(or strain 4 cups yogurt 24 hours)
- 3 tbspolive oil(good quality)
- 2 tbspza'atar
- 1/2 tspsumac(optional)
- 1/4 tspflaky sea salt
- 1/4 tspAleppo pepper(optional)
- 2 tbsppine nuts(toasted, optional)
- 1 tbspfresh mint(torn)
- 4 roundswarm pita bread(for serving)
Labneh keeps refrigerated up to 2 weeks. Dress with oil and za'atar just before serving.
- 1If making labneh from yogurt: line a strainer with cheesecloth, add yogurt, refrigerate 24 hours until thick
- 2Spread labneh on a shallow plate or bowl, creating a swoosh with the back of a spoon
- 3Make a well in the center
- 4Pour olive oil into the well and around the edges
- 5Sprinkle generously with za'atar, then sumac and Aleppo pepper if using
- 6Scatter with toasted pine nuts and torn mint
- 7Finish with flaky salt
- 8Serve immediately with warm pita bread for dipping
Strain yogurt for at least 24 hours for proper thickness. Use full-fat yogurt for the richest results.
Labneh is one of the oldest dairy foods in the world. The word comes from the Arabic root laban, meaning milk or yogurt, and its roots in the Levant — the region encompassing modern-day Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine — are estimated by food historians to reach as far back as 5,000 to 2,000 BCE. The hot climate of the region made refrigeration impossible, and straining yogurt to remove its whey was an ancient and practical solution: the resulting concentrated cheese lasted far longer, resisted spoilage, and could be preserved for months in olive oil. Ancient Bedouin tribes are known to have made labneh during their migrations, straining yogurt in cloth bags hung from tent poles or suspended from camel saddles as they travelled. The Armenians are widely credited with introducing labneh to broader Middle Eastern populations across many centuries. The Ottoman Empire, which ruled much of the region from the 14th through the early 20th century, further refined and disseminated strained yogurt practices across its vast territories. Za'atar — the spice blend that accompanies labneh in its most classic form — takes its name from the wild herb Origanum syriacum, a Middle Eastern plant closely related to oregano and thyme. In its spice blend form, za'atar typically combines dried herbs with ground sumac and toasted sesame seeds, though every family and every region adjusts the proportions. The combination of fresh labneh drizzled with olive oil and scattered with za'atar, eaten with warm pita, is the foundation of the traditional Lebanese breakfast — a meal unchanged in its essentials for millennia.