Cheeses of Akkar
Lebanon's northern hill country, known for shanklish: aged cheese balls rolled in za'atar and chilli.
Made, aged and sold here
Best time: April to June, when the hills are green.
Akkar is the far north of Lebanon, a region of plains, hills and mountain forests rising towards Qornet es Sawda. It is farming and herding country, poorer and greener than the coast. Its best-known cheese is shanklish, small balls of strained and aged cheese coated in dried thyme and chilli, made in Akkar and across the Syrian coastal hills.
Shanklish
Shanklish starts with yoghurt or laban, which is heated and strained to make a soft curd. The curd is salted, spiced, shaped into balls the size of a small orange and dried, sometimes left to mould for a sharper flavour. The balls are then rolled in za'atar or dried chilli. To serve, they are crumbled and dressed with tomato, onion and olive oil.
The north
Halba is the administrative town of Akkar. The region's villages make cheese, labneh, olive oil and honey, and its forests of cedar, juniper and fir at Qammouaa are among the largest in Lebanon. Many families still keep goats and sheep, moving them up to the mountain pastures in summer and back down to the villages for winter.
A trail idea for Akkar
- Halba The regional town and its markets.
- Qammouaa forest Mountain forest and summer pasture in the east of Akkar.
- A village table Taste shanklish dressed with tomato and oil, with flatbread.
- Tripoli souks Continue to the old souks of Tripoli for sweets and cheese.
Written by the EveryCheese desk with AI assistance. Background: "Akkar Governorate" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets, caves and tours change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
Nothing matches those filters yet. Take one off, or check back: new cheeses are written every day.