''Laban rayeb'' is a type of curdled skim milk made in Lower Egypt. It may be drunk fresh or may be used to make '' areesh'' cheese, which in turn is used to make ''

mish Mish ( arz, مش ) is a traditional Egyptian cheese that is made by fermenting salty cheese for several months or years. Mish may be similar to cheese that has been found in the tomb of the First Dynasty Pharaoh Hor-Aha at Saqqara, from 3200 BC ...

''. There is evidence that it was made by the ancient Egyptians.

Preparation

The traditional way to make ''laban rayeb'' starts with milking cows directly into partially sterilized shallow or deep earthenware pots. The inside of a newly made pot (''matared'') is soaked in oil or a mixture of egg white and oil and then baked in a kiln to close the pores. After each use the ''matared'' is washed and dried in a hot oven for two hours. The milk is left for one to four days, depending on the temperature, while the fat rises to the top and the milk below curdles. The milk is kept at 20-25 °C (68-77 °F) while the

curd Curd is obtained by coagulating milk in a sequential process called curdling. It can be a final dairy product or the first stage in cheesemaking. The coagulation can be caused by adding rennet or any edible acidic substance such as lem ...

forms. The milk is not disturbed while its natural microflora ferment it. The fat is scooped out and used to make butter. The remaining curd is the ''laban rayab''. It smells similar to

buttermilk Buttermilk is a fermented dairy drink. Traditionally, it was the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cultured cream. As most modern butter in western countries is not made with cultured cream but uncultured sweet cream, most mod ...

, and has a slightly acid taste.

Variants and derived products

''Laban khad'' is a variant that is fermented in a goat pelt. ''Goubasha'' is a traditional drink in the Sudan. Some cream is added to ''laban rayeb'' made from buffalo milk, and the mixture is then diluted with water. ''Laban zeer'' is another variant made in earthenware pots. It may be mixed with boiled, dried and ground wheat grains, fermented for twenty four hours, then sundried to make ''Kishk''. This is a very nutritious food that may keep for several years. ''Karish'' cheese is made from ''laban rayeb'' by pouring the curd onto a reed mat and letting it drain, occasionally spreading it and squeezing it in the mat, and then hanging it for two or three days. Shortly before being finished the cheese is dry-salted, and then hung in the mat for a few more hours.

References

Citations Sources * * * * {{refend Arab cuisine Egyptian cheeses