Syrian cheeses

[rosawoodsii]

When I was visiting a friend outside Boston lately, I found a great cheese in a Middle Eastern food store.  It was about the size of a tennis ball, soft and crumbly inside, and the outside was covered with herbs, possibly thyme, possibly a mix.  I called the store today to find out what it was called, and was told they just ordered and sold it as "Syrian cheese", but I recall the proprietor called it something else--perhaps Shanklish, or Surka.

Does anyone know what this cheese is and how to make it?  I'm sure it's aged, perhaps 2-6 weeks.  I had it in my refrigerator picking at it for at least 3.  When I did a search, I found a Wikipedia entry for Shanklish (also called by other names) and the photo looks like what I had.

[Andrew Marshallsay]

Hi Joy
I had a look on one of my favourite cheese websites and found this:
 http://www.cheese.com/shanklish/

[rosawoodsii]

Thanks, Andrew, that does sound (and look) like what I had.  Since I have goat milk, I'm going to try to make something similar.  I made some kefir and separately some soft curds using MM-100 and 4 drops of rennet, but I think it set too much.  At any rate, as soon as the kefir is thick, I'm going to drain both of them together and age them and see what I get.  It'll be an interesting experiment.  The cheese I had was definitely tangy (which is why I thought of the kefir). 

I've been trying to imagine how separating butter from yogurt would have anything to do with the cheesemaking process.  Certainly using creamy milk one would have a layer of yogurt cream on the top, but  I think they must have meant separating the cultured cream from the yogurt, as it said it was using the skimmed yogurt.  With some breeds of goat you can get cream on top, but not with most, and goat milk does not make a firm yogurt.

One day I hope to find an actual recipe for shanklish.  In the meantime, I'll play.

[wattlebloke]

Hi Joy, David Asher has a recipe for Shankleesh in his book ' The art of natural cheesemaking'. He uses cow milk yoghurt made with a keffir starter, drained in suspended cloth for 24 hours, or until its firm/dry enough. Lightly salted and then drained for another 4. Rolled into balls, dredged with Zaatar (herb mix), then placed in olive oil. I guess goats milk yoghurt would be even closer to the Syrian original? Happy making, and happy reading if you get hold of his book!

[rosawoodsii]

Hi Wattlebloke (with a name like that, I just *knew* you had to be from Australia!).

The two references I've seen so far say that Shanklish is made from either cow or sheep milk.  Cow milk forms a curd readily because of the cassein, and I know that sheep milk contains a lot more fat and a different type of cassein, so no, goat milk isn't closer to the original--but it's what I have.  Cow milk kefir will form a curd very quickly, while goat milk kefir (which I make all the time) thickens in 24 hours and separates in 36. It never forms an actual curd.

I have my goat milk curd ready to use now, made with raw goat milk and commercial cow yogurt mixed together.  The kefir just wasn't ready in time.  It'll be interesting to see what happens with this first batch.  Next time I'm going to make the kefir 24 hours ahead.

Since I'll be dispersing my herd this year I probably won't buy the book, but if anyone has it, I'd be grateful for the recipe.

[Fritz]

New England has a blurb with directions here http://www.cheesemaking.com/store/pg/54-Shankleshe.html

Have fun and enjoy

[wattlebloke]

hi Joy, yep, I'm an Aussie! and before I became consumed by cheese, I spent much my time, over the last 10 years, researching the history of wattle as a symbol of Australia...very much another story!
Perhaps I confused things...David Asher makes his Shankleesh not with kefir, but with yoghurt. The yogurt is made with a kefir starter: it isn't really kefir anymore because yoghurt is incubated at around 100-110f, which wipes out many of the mesophilic bacteria found in kefir.
He starts by cooking his milk (1 gallon) at 185f for 1/2 to an hour, stirring constantly, to thicken it. Then cools it to 100-110. Then using keffir as starter (3/4 cup) he incubates for 4-12 hrs.
Take a quart of this yoghurt, drain for 24 hrs; stir through a good tsp salt, drain another 24. It should have a texture like modelling clay. Roll cheese to golfball size balls, dredge in herb mix; rest for a few minutes; lower gently into oil-filled jars. Bingo!

[rosawoodsii]

Thank you!

So...what is "wattle"?  To me, it's the little hanging things goats sometimes have (goat jewelry).

And Fritz, thank you for the link.  I looked on Cheesemaking.com and didn't see it. You have saved the day.

[wattlebloke]

Awww! Cute
What is wattle? Apart from the dangly face bits on goats/turkeys etc it is an Australian plant: any of the species of Acacia native to Australia. Usually with fluffy yellow flowers. Called Mimosa in Europe. Originally it was a word used to describe a building method: an interlacing/weaving of flexible sticks between uprights. Often these were then coated with clay or plaster (wattle and daub/lathe and plaster). When the first Europeans came to settle in Australia, they built huts by this method, and named the trees they found most suitable after the technique. One of the 1000 odd species, Golden Wattle, is Australia's floral emblem.

[rosawoodsii]

Oh, right!  Daub and wattle!  I never thought of that but I'm certainly familiar with it.

Because I'm a bit of a botany buff, I had to look up Golden Wattle.  Very different from the
"sensitive plant" that I'm familiar with, Mimosa pudica!

[awakephd]

Wattle is a plant -- who knew? Wattle they think of next?

Sorry, couldn't resist. Not that I tried to resist, but I knew from experience that I would not be able to.

[rosawoodsii]

 

Oh, thank you!  I needed that.

[wattlebloke]

Andy, a groaaan for you! In my case, these days, its "wattle he be making next!". In actual fact, I'm going to be running a weekend workshop in a country district 4 hours away, teaching Camembert and Farmhouse Cheddar to 6-8 people. I'll be sure to post photos.
Joy, names of plants, rather like the names of cheeses, are often loosely applied (eg, an American Cheddar is nowhere near the original English thing).
In the case of wattles, which is a common name for Australian acacias (a botanical name), they belong to the same family (Mimosaceae) as African acacias and American mimosas (botanical name for the genus which includes Mimosa pudica). Things are confused by the fact that when Australian acacias were introduced to Europe, the floral structure reminded people of Mimosa (botanical name), so they referred to the plants as mimosas(as a common name).
Bottom line is that all these plants ARE related, and share the characteristic 'fluffy' flower structure. But they are NOT related to the American tree called White Acacia (or Black Locust)...
Many of the wattles have edible seeds too (some are roasted as a coffee substitute) so my next thing will have to be to see if I can work them into a cheese or two...an Australian Shankleesh perhaps

[awakephd]

Many of the wattles have edible seeds too (some are roasted as a coffee substitute) so my next thing will have to be to see if I can work them into a cheese or two...an Australian Shankleesh perhaps

That sounds quite interesting, and a way to make a unique / uniquely Australian cheese. I wonder if you could do the roasted / ground seeds as a coating on the outside of a mild cheese, like is sometimes done with coffee / cocoa / other spices on the outside of a "jack" cheese. Alternately, hmm ... if it really tastes like coffee, or in that vicinity, what cheese would pair well ... ? Maybe something nutty, caramel-y? Not sure how to get the caramel flavor, but nutty could be something like a Montasio or Asiago, perhaps? I look forward to the experiment, WITH pictures!

[rosawoodsii]

OOOO! Good ideas!  Now, how do I manage to get a taste?