Shanklish
Balls of aged, strained yoghurt cheese rolled in za'atar or chilli, from Syria and Lebanon.
Also: شنكليش, shankleesh, chancliche
Shanklish is a strong cheese from the Levant, especially the coast of Syria and northern Lebanon. It is made from yoghurt or a drained cow or sheep milk curd, which is salted, spiced, rolled into balls the size of a tangerine and dried. The balls are coated in za'atar, dried thyme or Aleppo pepper and left to age for some weeks, sometimes until they grow a mould that gives a sharp, pungent flavour. To serve, shanklish is crumbled with chopped tomato, onion and parsley, dressed with olive oil, and eaten with bread as part of a mezze spread. Young, unmoulded shanklish is milder.