What does labneh taste like?
Labneh tastes like the thickest, creamiest Greek yogurt you've had: tangy, a little salty and rich, somewhere between yogurt and cream cheese.
Labneh
thick, tangy, spreadable yogurt
Labneh is yogurt strained until most of the liquid drips out, leaving something thick enough to spread. It's eaten all over the Middle East, often at breakfast. The tang is clean and lactic (the gentle sourness of yogurt), and a pinch of salt makes it savory rather than sweet. It's lighter than cream cheese but richer than regular yogurt. Restaurants usually swoosh it on a plate, pool olive oil on top and sprinkle za'atar (a thyme, sesame and sumac blend), so you get creamy, tart, herby and nutty in one scoop of pita.
Where you’ll see it
As a dip with olive oil, za'atar and warm pita, under roasted vegetables or lamb, on breakfast plates with cucumber, tomato and olives, and rolled into small balls packed in oil.
Order it if you like Greek yogurt, cream cheese and anything you can scoop up with warm bread.
Quick questions
- Is labneh the same as Greek yogurt?
- Similar, but labneh is strained longer, so it's thicker, spreadable and usually salted. Greek yogurt is looser and milder.
- Is labneh a cheese?
- It's often called a yogurt cheese because it's strained like a fresh cheese, but it's still yogurt, just thicker. It isn't aged.