RECIPES Bayrut The Cookbook

AGED CHEESE DIP Shanklish

MAKES 4 BALLS OR 2 PORTIONS OF DIP (EACH DIP SERVES 4)

“Where do I begin to explain how much I love shanklish? Shanklish is an aged yoghurt, usually rolled into balls, and used rather like a soft cheese or made into a dip. I get the best shanklish from Akkar in North Lebanon, where it is fermented in clay pots until it’s ‘fully ripe’. This means that a crust of yeasts and mould has developed on the outside of the balls and the inside has acquired a beautiful sweet and sharp fermented taste that is similar to, but mellower than, blue cheese. If you’ve never tasted the real thing before, the first time you try it you might find it rather pungent.