Nabulsi cheese vs Shanklish
Nabulsi cheese
Facts
- Milk
- Mixed milk
- Texture
- Semi-hard
- Type
- Brined
- Rind
- No rind
- Country
- Levant
- Place
- Nablus
Nabulsi cheese is a firm white brine cheese from Nablus, in the Levant, made from sheep's milk, goat's milk, or a mix of the two. Makers boil the curd and season it with mahlab and mastic, which sets it apart from a plain salted white cheese. The block has no rind. It is stored in brine, so the first bite is salty. After a soak, the spice and the milk flavor come forward.
Shanklish
Facts
- Texture
- Semi-hard
- Rind
- No rind
- Country
- Syria
Shanklish is a traditional cheese from Syria, and it is also a familiar food across the Levant. Makers drain a fermented curd, salt it heavily, and roll it into small balls that dry and age. The finished balls are firm and crumbly, with a coat of thyme, za'atar, or hot pepper. Young pieces taste tangy and fresh, while older pieces turn sharp, salty, and very pungent. You eat them crumbled, usually with tomato, onion, and olive oil.