{ "id": 28622, "date": "2026-11-02T15:31:08", "date_gmt": "2026-11-02T07:31:08", "guid": { "rendered": "https:\/\/kefir.link\/zh-tw\/kefir-labneh\/" }, "modified": "2026-11-02T15:31:08", "modified_gmt": "2026-11-02T07:31:08", "slug": "kefir-labneh", "status": "publish", "type": "post", "link": "https:\/\/kefir.link\/en\/kefir-labneh\/", "title": { "rendered": "Strained kefir labneh" }, "content": { "rendered": "
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\"\"By Nik<\/strong><\/a>, founder of \u6771\u6b50\u56b4\u9078\uff5ckefir.link and former chef \u00b7 Updated 2 November 2026<\/p>\n

Labneh is the thick, tangy strained cheese of Middle Eastern breakfast tables, usually made from yogurt. Here plain milk kefir takes the yogurt's place, and as the whey drips away it thickens into a spread with the body of cream cheese and a bright, sour flavour. A swirl of olive oil and a pinch of thyme turn it into a plate for sharing.<\/p>\n

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Prep time<\/span>5 min<\/strong><\/div>\n
Total time<\/span>1 day 5 min<\/strong><\/div>\n
Makes<\/span>4 servings<\/strong><\/div>\nJump to the recipe \u2193<\/a>\n<\/div>\n
\"Strained<\/figure>\n

A breakfast spread from the Levant<\/h2>\n

Salted strained yogurt, thicker than Greek yogurt, is known as labneh across the Levant, Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula. It is a common breakfast dip, spread on a plate, drizzled with olive oil and often finished with dried mint or za'atar, a blend of thyme, sesame and sumac. It also appears on meze platters with olives, cucumbers and flatbread.<\/p>\n

In Lebanon and Palestine, labneh is also rolled into balls and kept in olive oil. Turkish labne is a different product: unsalted and creamy, and used more like mascarpone.<\/p>\n

Time decides the texture<\/h2>\n

Labneh needs no rennet. Fermentation has already set the milk proteins into a gel that holds water, and the cloth simply lets the whey run out while the protein stays behind. After about 12 hours the kefir is as thick as Greek yogurt, after about 24 hours it is firm like cream cheese, and very thin kefir may need up to 36 hours before it can be rolled into balls. The salt seasons the cheese and helps draw out the whey, while unsalted kefir cheese tastes very tart. In Taiwan, where labneh is hard to find in supermarkets, home cooks often strain theirs in a cotton soy-milk bag.<\/p>\n

Olive oil, thyme and other toppings<\/h2>\n

Because za'atar is built on thyme, dried thyme gives a simple take on the classic finish, and lemon zest can stand in for sumac. For colour and crunch, scatter over nigella seeds, pomegranate seeds, chopped pistachios, mint or coriander. Serve it with warm pita or naan, cucumber spears, olives or pita chips, or wrap it in flatbread with vegetables.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/trp-tag><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Strained kefir labneh<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Prep Time <\/span>5 minutes<\/span><\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Refrigerated straining <\/span>1 day<\/span><\/span> day<\/span><\/span><\/div>
Total Time <\/span>1 day<\/span><\/span> day<\/span> 5 minutes<\/span><\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n\t
Servings <\/span>4<\/span> servings<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n\t<\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/span> Print the recipe<\/a>\n<\/div>\n
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Ingredients<\/h3>

For the labneh<\/h4>