A look at some of the most popular regional cheeses available in the UAE, all of which are available from most supermarkets.
Nabulsi
From: Nablus, Palestine
Made from goat’s milk, this is a semi-hard, brined white cheese, and can come with habat Al baraka (black sesame seed) or without. It is used as a table cheese and is also the main ingredient in Arab pastries such as kunafa.
Price: Dh20-Dh30 for half a kilo.
Baladi
From: Lebanon, but also made across the Middle East — each country has its own version
A soft, smooth, creamy, white cheese with a mild flavour. Made from an unpasteurised mixture of goat’s, cow’s and sheep’s milk. It is also known as the “cheese of the mountains” because it is made high on the peaks by shepherds. Used as a spread on fresh Arabic bread or crackers, it is usually eaten for breakfast or as a snack.
Price: Dh13-Dh15 for half a kilo.
Domiati
From: Egypt — named after port city of Damietta
Also known as the jabna bayda (the white cheese), this is a soft, salty, pickled cheese typically made from buffalo milk, cow milk or a mixture of the two. Unlike other white cheeses, salt is added directly to the milk, before rennet enzyme is added. It is eaten in sandwiches and with other light dishes.
Price: Dh12-Dh13 for half a kilo.
Roumy
From: Egypt
The name is believed to relate to the fact that roumy is a “foreign” cheese, or from Rome. It is a yellow, hard cheese with a distinctive smell and degrees of saltiness depending on how much it has been aged. It is derived from the Greek kefalotyri yellow cheese and made from cow milk, or a mixture of cow and buffalo milk. It is popular in Egypt, and used like Parmesan: grated or otherwise in various cooked and raw dishes.
Price: Dh18-Dh20 for half a kilo.
Shellal
From: Syria
A twisted, braided white cheese made of strands, shellal is known for being extremely salty. Made from cow milk, it contains a Middle-Eastern spice known as mahlab (or mahlebi, mahleb). One untangles it as one eats it, some soak it for a few hours before eating to reduce the saltiness. Eaten with bread and fruits, it is believed to give you the kick you need to feel revived.
Price: Dh20-Dh25 for half a kilo.
Areesh or Arish
From: Egypt
Similar in taste to ricotta, this is like cottage cheese and made from cow, goat or sheep milk. It is often used to make shanklish — “the blue cheese of Arabia” — which is a fermented cheese dish with a strong taste, covered in zaatar (thyme) and Aleppo pepper. It is shaped into balls, then aged and dried. It can also be used to make Arabic desserts and pastries.
Price: Dh18-Dh20 for half a kilo.
Kashkawan (Kashkaval)
From: Syria, Lebanon
Believed to be originally Turkish, and similar to Italian caciocavallo, this is a yellow, stretched-curd cheese, semi-soft and made with sheep or cow milk. It is used as a topping in hot-bread dishes, including saj and manakish, as well as in sandwiches.
Price: From Dh30 for half a kilo.
Halloumi
Origin: Lebanon
Said to have Cypriot origins as well, it is a semi-hard, unripened white brined cheese made from a mixture of goat and sheep milk, and sometimes also cow’s milk. Served grilled or fried, it is eaten on its own or paired with salads and fruits like watermelon.
Price: Dh20-Dh 25 for half a kilo.
Saudi Feta
Origin: Saudi Arabia
A newcomer and an Arabized version of the Greek Feta, which is brined curd white cheese, but the Saudi version is creamier and softer in texture. It doesn’t crumble like the traditional Greek Feta. It is made of cow’s milk, and sometimes from powdered milk, and it is as a spread and in salads. It has become a popular choice particularly in the GCC.
Price: Dh8-Dh10 for half a kilo.
