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Fermentation Atlas

Cheese from Lebanon, Syria

Shanklishشنكليش

Yoghurt, or the buttermilk left after churning it, is heated until it curdles, strained, salted and rolled into balls about 6 cm across, often coated in thyme, chilli or sumac. The balls are dried, then aged in sealed jars for about a month or two until mould grows on them, giving a sharp, crumbly cheese. Made in 6 steps over 13 months – 14 months. The longest step, store, takes up to 12 months (Dimassi O 2025). Salt is 4–6 % (Dimassi O 2025). Lactic bacteria of the yoghurt the curd is made from does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main stepup to 12 monthsReported[dimassi2025]Store
Salt4–6 %Reported[dimassi2025]Salt and roll into spiced balls
DocumentedCheese13 months – 14 monthsMore other cheesesMore from Turkey

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedHousehold and farm process with no fixed amounts; one Syrian farm made 114 kg a year on average.
Yoghurt or buttermilk · In Syria, buttermilk from churning; overheating it makes the cheese crumble[addas2012][nehme2019]
Salt[dimassi2025]
Thyme (za'atar), chilli or sumac · Coating for the balls[dimassi2025]
Starter: the lactic bacteria of the yoghurt; moulds settle on the balls during ageing

Total time across the recorded steps: 13 months – 14 months

Start
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What changes: Heat curdles the yoghurt or buttermilk into curds and whey

Step 1 of 6
Heat yoghurt or buttermilk until it curdles
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Moulds

The sources read give no temperature; overheating gives a crumbly cheese. Output: curd.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
curds in whey
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

heat sets the proteins of the soured milk

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

Shanklish starts from yoghurt or buttermilk, not fresh milk, and is set by heat and acid rather than rennet. The curd is rolled into balls, dried and aged in sealed jars until surface moulds grow, then coated in thyme or chilli.

Size
Balls about 6 cm across

Related ferments

Variants

  • Fresh (green) shanklishEaten within days of shaping; milder and softer, not mould-ripened.
  • Sürk (Hatay)Turkish version of the same spiced curd balls.

Safety

Mould grows freely during home ageing; a Syrian survey found aflatoxins of 0.22–2.55 µg/kg and linked better hygiene and processing to safer cheese.

Hazards the sources name: Aflatoxins from mould growth, 0.22–2.55 µg/kg in 28 Syrian samples.

History and sources

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

Shanklish keeps milk without refrigeration; in one Syrian survey most farms turned all their milk into it.

  1. [addas2012] Addas M., El-Dine Hilali M., Rischkowsky B., Kefalas P. 2012, The quality of Syrian shanklish, a traditional dairy product, Tropentag 2012 conference abstract (ICARDA and MAICH)paper
  2. [dimassi2025] Dimassi O., Jaber L., Fleyfel L., Hamadeh S. 2025, Milk supply in Lebanon, economic challenges and the role of traditional dairy products, Foods 14(17):3115, doi:10.3390/foods14173115paper
  3. [nehme2019] Nehme L., Salameh C., Tabet E., Nehme M., Hosri C. 2019, Innovative improvement of Shanklish cheese production in Lebanon, International Dairy Journal 90:23–27, doi:10.1016/j.idairyj.2018.10.005 (abstract)paper