Shanklish

Traditional Levantine cheese

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Shanklish

Region	Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, and the Middle East^[1]
Source of milk	Cow or sheep
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Shanklish (Arabic: شنكليش shanklīsh or شنغليش shanghlīsh), also known as chancliche, shinklish, shankleesh, sorke, sürke, or eddesh, is a type of cow or sheep milk cheese in Levantine cuisine.^[1]

Shanklish is made by curdling yogurt, straining it, and fermenting it. It is typically formed into balls of approximately 6 cm diameter, often covered in za'atar and Aleppo pepper, and then aged and dried.^[2]

The most common spice is thyme, thus giving the cheese its appearance somewhat resembling a rum ball. Shanklish is also sold in much smaller balls or unformed.

In Egypt, shanklish is made by fermenting Areesh cheese,^[3] usually called mesh.

Shanklish varies greatly in its texture and flavour. Fresh cheeses have a soft texture and mild flavour; those dried and aged for a longer period become progressively harder and can acquire an extremely pungent odour and flavour. To make spicier cheeses, spices such as aniseed and chilli can be mixed in before the cheese is formed into balls. Spicy shanklish are often covered in chilli, especially in Syria, thus appear red. Shanklish from the Syrian coastal plain around Tartus and the adjoining northern Lebanese region of Akkar are considered particularly delectable; these tend to be hard, with a clean strong flavour and near-white colour.

Shanklish is generally eaten with finely-chopped tomato, onion and olive oil in a dish called Shʿifurah; and often accompanied by araq. It is a common meze dish. Shanklish is also mashed up with eggs or in a pita with cucumbers, mint leaves and olive oil for breakfast.

References

^ ^a ^b Esen, Yusuf; Çetin, Bülent (2021). "Bacterial and yeast microbial diversity of the ripened traditional middle east surk cheese". International Dairy Journal. 117: 105004. doi:10.1016/j.idairyj.2021.105004. ISSN 0958-6946. Surk is a cheese produced by the addition of certain spices to the skim-milk cheese and it is known especially in the East Mediterranean region of Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, and the Middle East. Surk is also named as shanklish, shinklish, shankleesh, sorke, or sürke.
^ This Isolated Syrian Community Straddling the Israeli-Lebanese Border Is a Culinary Gem, Haaretz
^ Helou 1998, p. 18.