Shankleesh salad
January 2, 2010 • Category: Salads
One of the factors that add a peculiar charm to life in Beirut and Lebanon is the unreliability of things that people take for granted in the developed world, such as electricity and internet connection. I could not get connected at home for some reason and so my daughter and I decided to go to a really cool café in the Hamra district in West Beirut; we could sit outside and get some Evolution tea and cake and free wireless connection; Café Younès is on the ground level of an apartment building; each floor has a balcony and you can see tenants’ clothes and bedsheets drying on the rail; the café itself is elegant and buzzing with American-speaking patrons, bohemian and intellectual-sounding, college-age for the most part. It is taking 15 minutes to download one picture, so this post is going to be short. At least we are enjoying the nice weather and people-watching and listening. There’s a lot of activity outside, as is usual in Beirut, cars honking, people laughing and shouting, trees and bushes in the street with twinkling Christmas lights.
Shankleesh is a Lebanese cheese that is similar to feta, except what sets it apart is that it is very pungent. I love it especially crumbled up and mixed with nature’s best vegetables, tomatoes, onions and cucumbers, dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.
To make this salad, one can substitute feta cheese; crumble the cheese in a bowl, add some onion rings, some sliced cucumbers, some tomatoes, some fresh mint, some black olives. Toss with some lemon juice and olive oil and a bit of black pepper. Eat with some bread.
Comments
17 Comments • Comments Feed
Peter says:
More pungeant than Feta? I have to try/find this cheese. I’ll try a local Mid-Eastern store run by Lebanese.
On January 2, 2010 at 1:10 pm
Angie@Angie's Recipe says:
Never had Shankleesh before…but if it’s similar to Feta, then I would definitely love it in my salad.
On January 2, 2010 at 1:38 pm
taina says:
I’ve been meaning to write my shangleeshi story, so your post reminded me. I love shangleeshi!
On January 3, 2010 at 12:42 am
nora@ffr says:
shankleesh vat a cool name!! hehe!! never heard of it before!! i should give a try some time sooner
cheers!!
On January 3, 2010 at 12:53 pm
yasmeen says:
A very appetizing salad.Hope you had joyful holidays.Enjoy the rest of your stay.My best wishes for 2010 😀
On January 3, 2010 at 6:56 pm
Bria says:
Wow, I almost felt like I was in the cafe with you guys. Nice slice of life post. Shankleesh–whoa mama, is that stuff STRONG! But it tastes so good. I like it when it’s quite peppery and aggressively spiced. Smells like socks, but taste like heaven. Lol!
On January 3, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Fouad says:
Hi Joumana
Happy new year my friend. I hope you have had a good year in 2009.
Love the post on shanklish, and I love shanklish as well. Did you know it is the only mould surface ripened cheese native to the Middle East? Pretty cool huh?
F
On January 4, 2010 at 6:38 am
tobias cooks! says:
I am in exactly the same situation with the internet here on this little Greek island! No connection at home, sitting in an internet cafe. Love the salad!
On January 4, 2010 at 7:38 am
amal says:
Un petit coucou pour souhaiter très bonne année 2010.
Plein de bonheur et de santé.
Cette salade donne envie!
bisous
On January 4, 2010 at 3:57 pm
cmiranda says:
I have yet to try this salad.Lovely post and beautiful pictures.
On January 12, 2010 at 3:09 pm
Arlette says:
I will teach you to make your own shankleish, after you will never buy it….
Maybe I need to make another batch and do a posting….
On February 15, 2010 at 10:37 pm
Patrick Chadd says:
If you want to know how to make shanklish: http://www.amazon.com/Shanklish-Patrick-Chadd/dp/0615368379/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274812696&sr=8-1
On May 25, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Chris says:
Shankleesh is not really like feta. Shankleesh is made with lebneh (yogurt) that has then been aged (I think mold’, as well). Feta is simply brined (over-salted, really) cheese curd.
In any case, one of the best things I ever ate in Lebanon was Shankleesh crumbled into a wild zaatar salad….totally BLACK OUT delicious. Totally miss Lebanon.
On October 9, 2010 at 9:11 pm
Michelle says:
Shankleesh is not covered in mold. My favorite little Lebanese bakery in Methuen, MA…the proprietor told me it’s thyme. Not mold…that stays on my bleu cheese. She told me how to make Shankleesh Salad and I have to report next trip to the bakery. Love to try new things!
On December 11, 2015 at 12:15 am
Joumana says:
@Michelle: You are absolutely right, the shankleesh is covered with thyme or spices. Whatever mold develops during the drying process is removed and the cheese is covered with various coatings instead, usually red pepper powder, or thyme powder or a mixture of spices..
On December 12, 2015 at 10:45 am
Gerald Abraham says:
I need a shunkleesh recipe. Thanks
On March 21, 2015 at 9:13 pm
Joumana says:
@Gerald Abraham: you will find a link to it in my latest post. In the blog, it was published under shanklish cheese.
On March 22, 2015 at 12:53 pm