Nabulsi is a
Palestinian
Palestinians () are an Arab ethnonational group native to the Levantine region of Palestine.
*: "Palestine was part of the first wave of conquest following Muhammad's death in 632 CE; Jerusalem fell to the Caliph Umar in 638. The indigenous p ...
white brined cheese made in the
Middle East
The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq.
The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...
. Its name refers to its place of origin,
Nablus
Nablus ( ; , ) is a State of Palestine, Palestinian city in the West Bank, located approximately north of Jerusalem, with a population of 156,906. Located between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, it is the capital of the Nablus Governorate and a ...
, and it is known throughout the
West Bank
The West Bank is located on the western bank of the Jordan River and is the larger of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the Gaza Strip) that make up the State of Palestine. A landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
and surrounding regions. Nabulsi, along with
Akkawi cheese, is one of the principal cheeses consumed in
Jordan
Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...
. It is produced primarily from
sheep's milk
Sheep milk is the milk of Sheep, domestic sheep. It is commonly used to make cultured Dairy product, dairy products, such as cheese. Some of the most popular sheep cheeses include feta (Greece), pecorino romano (Italy), Roquefort (France) and Ma ...
; alternatively,
goat's milk may be used. Nabulsi cheese is white and rectangular in shape. It is semi-hard with no gas holes. It becomes soft and elastic when heated. It is a typical ewe's or goat's milk cheese, but is traditionally flavored with
mahleb (''Prunus mahaleb'') and mastic (''
Pistacia lentiscus
''Pistacia lentiscus'' (also lentisk or mastic) is a dioecious evergreen shrub or small tree of the genus '' Pistacia'' native to the Mediterranean Basin. It grows up to tall and is cultivated for its aromatic resin, mainly on the Greek isl ...
'') added to the boiling brine. It is a major ingredient of the Middle Eastern dessert ''
knafeh''.
Production
The cheese can be prepared using cow, sheep or goat milk, or a mixture of cow and sheep milk to create ''mashmouleh'' () cheese.
The cheese is first prepared by heating the milk and then adding the mastic gum and mahaleb, and then, after it is cooled,
rennet
Rennet () is a complex set of enzymes produced in the stomachs of ruminant mammals. Chymosin, its key component, is a protease, protease enzyme that curdling, curdles the casein in milk. In addition to chymosin, rennet contains other enzymes, su ...
is added.
Consumption
The cheese is widely used in the middle east and
Southeast Europe
Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe is a geographical sub-region of Europe, consisting primarily of the region of the Balkans, as well as adjacent regions and Archipelago, archipelagos. There are overlapping and conflicting definitions of t ...
.
After the cheese is prepared, it is stored in brine, it may be later desalted for use in the production of bakery goods and desserts such as
knafeh, where the stretchability of the cheese is desired, additionally, it may be eaten fresh, or after its
fried in oil.
See also
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References
Works cited
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Levantine cuisine
Palestinian cheeses
Jordanian cuisine
Syrian cheeses
Cow's-milk cheeses
Goat's-milk cheeses
Sheep's-milk cheeses
Nablus
Brined white cheeses
Palestinian inventions
{{cheese-stub