Greek Yogurt Cream Cheese is known as Labneh in the Middle East. Labneh is prepared by draining yogurt of its whey. The yogurt is then mixed with herbs, scallions, and hot chili peppers to make Jajik. This delicious Assyrian cheese spread is served for breakfast or as an appetizer; I especially love it on toasted Sourdough or Seed Crackers.
I've recently joined an Assyrian cooking group on Facebook with over 10,000 members. It's been very eye-opening to see the vast differences in some of the Assyrian recipes that are shared.
Many of these differences are based on the county or even tribe that the recipe contributor is from.
Take Jajik, for example. There are those who prepare it with farmer's cheese, while others use cottage cheese or cream cheese. Still, some use a combination of cream cheese, cottage cheese, and butter.
To add to the confusion, there are also those that refer to Buried Cheese as Jajik. 🤦♀️ There are so many variations that sometimes I wonder if we are even referring to the same recipe!
My grandmother's Jajik, however, was always prepared using Labneh. She would place the yogurt in cloth and suspend it over the faucet, allowing the liquid (whey) to drain out. This was usually an overnight process and was the method my mom taught me.
The "cream cheese" was then mixed with fresh herbs (don't even think about dried) and vegetables. The following is a list of some of these mix-in options.
- chives
- scallions
- dill
- basil
- cilantro
- parsley
- chili peppers
- celery
I recently teased some of my Instagram followers about the fact that my grandmother's Jajik had a secret ingredient that I may or may not share in this post. Though there were many guesses, no one was able to figure out what that secret ingredient was.
I've never heard of anyone using this mystery ingredient in their Jajik, so I'm not sure where she came up with the idea to use it. So what is grandma's secret ingredient? ..... the anticipation must be killing you... It's marigold leaves!
Although it's not common knowledge, marigolds are, in fact, edible. Marigolds are commonly planted next to vegetables because they act as a deterrent to common garden pests.
But don't let that fact fool you. After all, what do bugs know? The flowers have a mild, pleasant taste that might even go unnoticed if added in recipes.
Marigold leaves, however, have a much stronger taste that I would compare to basil. Although I wouldn't eat them on their own, I do highly recommend them in this Greek Yogurt Cream Cheese recipe!
The leaves add a slightly spicy flavor that I absolutely love! My daughter, Nena, described their flavor as "smokey."
Some people might be allergic to marigolds, so please use caution when including them.
How to Make This Recipe
Start by transferring the yogurt from its container to a soup bag. Twist the bag from the top, to begin draining the whey from the yogurt.
Suspend the bag from the faucet and allow the liquid to drain. I recommend leaving it overnight, undisturbed. Otherwise, it can take four or more hours until it's completely drained.
Another option is to place the bag in a strainer and cover it with a heavy object to weigh it down and squeeze out any remaining liquid.
Remove the yogurt from the soup bag and place it in a bowl.
Mix in the minced chives, scallions, dill, Serrano pepper, sea salt, and marigold leaves, if using.
Enjoy with crackers, pita, or toasted bread.
Recipe FAQ's and Expert Tips
You may have noticed that Greek yogurt and homemade yogurt contain a lot of liquid (whey) that rises to the surface of the yogurt. Similar to other dairy products (for example, sour cream). The whey can either be poured off, absorbed (by placing a folded paper towel over the surface), or mixed in.
When the whey is completely drained from yogurt, you are left with a block of rich cream cheese. The cream cheese can be consumed as is, or mixed with some of the suggested ingredients I mentioned above.
Depending on the recipe, you may be able to substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream in some recipes. This includes cheesecake recipes and dips.
The reason that the substitution works is that Greek yogurt and sour cream have a similar texture and taste. Greek yogurt, however, is a much healthier option and contains less fat. To substitute yogurt for sour cream, use a one to one ratio.
- As soon as you remove the yogurt from the soup bag, give the bag a quick wash in the sink, wring it out, and hang it to dry so that it's available the next time you need it.
- Place a bowl under the draining yogurt to catch the whey. Whey can be used as a brine, added to shakes, or mixed in with Daweh. Check out this Cooking Light post for more ideas.
- Some people mix softened butter in with the Jajik. I really don't think it's necessary.
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Greek Yogurt Cream Cheese (Labneh Jajik)
Ingredients
- 1 32 oz Greek yogurt
- 1 T. chives (minced)
- 1 scallion (minced)
- 2 T. dill (minced)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 Serrano pepper (minced)
- 1 T. marigold leaves (minced)
Instructions
- Transfer yogurt from its container to a soup bag. Twist the bag from the top, to begin draining the whey from the yogurt.
- Suspend the bag from the faucet and allow the liquid to drain. I recommend leaving it overnight, undisturbed. Otherwise, it can take four or more hours until it's completely drained.
- Another option is to place the bag in a strainer and cover it with a heavy object to weigh it down and squeeze out any remaining liquid.
- Remove the yogurt from the soup bag and place it in a bowl. Wash the soup bag, then wring out and hang to dry to reuse at a later time.
- Mix in the minced chives, scallions, dill, Serrano pepper, sea salt, and marigold leaves, if using.
- Enjoy with crackers, pita, or toasted bread.
Notes
- As soon as you remove the yogurt from the soup bag, give the bag a quick wash in the sink, wring it out, and hang it to dry so that it's available the next time you need it.
- Place a bowl under the draining yogurt to catch the whey. Whey can be used as a brine, added to shakes, or mixed in with Daweh. Check out this Cooking Light post for more ideas.
- Some people mix softened butter in with the Jajik. I really don't think it's necessary.
Kelly Methey says
This is an interesting recipe. I love your presentation of it. Your plate is beautiful!
HildaSterner says
Thanks, Kelly! I will make it for you one of these days.