Turkish Cheese 4 - Labneh

Strictly speaking, labneh isn't really a cheese, it's a thoroughly strained yogurt. But I'm including it in this overview because it's often referred to as "yogurt cheese."

The labneh available at my local store is made by Ülker, a major Turkish manufacturer of food products for international export. It's smooth and mild, with a rich buttery taste and just the slightest hint of yogurt's sourness - in fact, it reminds me more of crème fraîche than it does of other strained yogurts I've had. I especially enjoy it spread on toast in the morning, topped with a bit of blackcurrant jam.

You can use it as an alternative to sour cream or cream cheese for dips, spreads, or canapes (try stirring in some chopped green olives and using it to stuff tender little celery sticks. Delicious.) And labneh's buttery taste makes it go beautifully with fruit.

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