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Fermentation Atlas

Fermented milk from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia

Lben / leben (Maghreb)لبن

Raw milk is left to sour on its own in a warm place for one to two days into a set curd, rayeb. The rayeb is churned in a goatskin or churn until the butter (zebda) separates, and the sour buttermilk left behind, often thinned with a little water, is lben. Made in 4 steps over 4 days – 6 days. The longest step, let the raw milk sour into rayeb, takes 24 h – 3 days (FAO 1990) and runs at 26.8 °C (Sarhir S.T 2024). Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and biovar diacetylactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides do most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step24 h – 3 daysReported[fao-tmp][sohanang2026]Let the raw milk sour into rayeb
Temperature26.8 °CReported[sarhir2024][fao-tmp]Let the raw milk sour into rayeb
AciditypH 4.1–4.4Measured[ariri2023]Thin with water and serve
Fully documentedFermented milk4 days – 6 daysMore fermented milkMore from Africa

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceHousehold lben has no fixed batch size; FAO gives only the added water.
Raw whole milk, not heat-treated[fao-tmp]
About 10 %Water, added to the buttermilk[fao-tmp]
No starter · Bacteria come from the milk and the vessel[fao-tmp][alebidi2026]
Starterspontaneous (backslopping is used in some places)

Total time across the recorded steps: 4 days – 6 days

Start
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Milk sugarLactic acid26.8 °Cshapes, not to countLeuconostocs sour

What changes: Raw milk sours on its own into a set curd, rayeb

Step 1 of 4
Let the raw milk sour into rayeb
Time
24 h – 3 days
Reported
Temperature
26.8 °C
Reported
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Leuconostocs sour
Lactococcus lactis
L. mesenteroides
Enterococcus faecalis

Output: rayeb.

Flavour
sour, buttery
Texture
set curd
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

lactococci and leuconostocs sour the milk and make diacetyl

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

What makes this one different

Lben is made from raw milk that sours on its own and is then churned; the drink is the buttermilk, not the soured milk itself. Rayeb is the same milk eaten set, before churning.

Related ferments

Variants

  • Rayeb (raïb)Eaten as set curd before churning.
  • Raibb (Tunisia)Raw cow milk acidified on its own in 24 hours; fat 36 % of dry matter.
  • JbenFresh cheese from the lben curd.

Safety

Lben is made from raw, unheated milk. In a survey of street-sold lben in El Jadida, Morocco, 70 % of samples failed the Moroccan microbiological rules.

Hazards the sources name: Contaminating microbes from raw milk and handling (70 % of 30 street-sold lben samples failed Moroccan microbiological rules).

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

Lben and rayeb are made in rural households across the Maghreb.

  1. [fao-tmp] FAO 1990, The technology of traditional milk products in developing countries, Animal Production and Health Paper 85 (leben, Morocco; raibb, Tunisia)gov
  2. [sohanang2026] Nodem Sohanang F.S., Nganou D.N., Beka R.G. et al. 2026, Unlocking the microbial potential of traditional African fermented milk products, a systematic review, Frontiers in Food Science and Technologypaper
  3. [gardoul2025] Gardoul M., Mbarki A., Ajdig M. et al. 2025, Unveiling the technological and biopreservative potential of wild lactic acid bacteria from Moroccan traditional dairy products, Brazilian Journal of Microbiologypaper
  4. [alebidi2026] Alebidi S., Mallek H., Fragasso M. et al. 2026, Exploring the diversity and applications of lactic acid bacteria from Tunisian traditional fermented foods, Microorganisms 14(2):383paper
  5. [sarhir2024] Sarhir S.T., Belkhou R., Bouseta A., Hayaloglu A.A. 2024, An optimization approach on the determination of volatile composition, bioactive compounds and sensory properties of Lben, Journal of Food Composition and Analysis (abstract)paper
  6. [ariri2023] Ariri N., Aboukhassib H., Echarrafi N. et al. 2023, Evaluation of the physicochemical and hygienic quality of cow's milk and its derivatives in El Jadida city, Morocco, Roczniki Państwowego Zakładu Higienypaper