What are the cultural and historical origins of Leben?
Leben, also spelled laban or lben, is a fermented milk of the Middle East and North Africa. It comes in two forms: a thick yogurt-style product in the Levant and a thin buttermilk-style drink in parts of Arabia and the Maghreb. We found no documented inventor or date; its origin lies in old milk fermentation traditions. It is not a German bread.
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In this article
What is leben?
Leben (also written laban or lben, from the Arabic word for white or milk) is a traditional fermented milk found across Arabic-speaking countries. The name is used for more than one product, which is why descriptions sometimes seem to contradict each other.
What are the two main kinds?
| Form | Where | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Yogurt style | Levant, for example Lebanon | Thick, set, similar to plain yogurt; eaten with bread, salads, dates |
| Buttermilk style | North Africa, including the Maghreb | Thin, sour drink; milk is fermented and churned and the butter removed |
Search sources describe these regional patterns, but they vary in detail between countries and households.
How is yogurt-style leben made?
A home method published by a yogurt-making site: heat 1 gallon of milk until it bubbles, cool it to about 125 degrees F, mix 8 oz of plain yogurt with some warm milk, stir it into the pot, cover and wrap it in a blanket, and leave it overnight or for about 8 hours. The thin liquid on top is poured off before chilling. The yogurt acts as a starter culture.
What are the origins?
Fermenting milk is an old way to keep it from spoiling in warm climates, and herders in the region have long made soured milk. We did not find a reliable source for when or where leben began, and the source we opened gives no history. Claims of a precise date, or of an inventor, should be treated as unproven. What can be said is that it is part of everyday food in the Arab world, eaten at any meal.
How is it eaten?
- On its own or with bread.
- With cucumber and garlic as a light salad.
- With dates.
- As a cooling drink, salted or plain.
Is it related to other drinks?
It is a relative of yogurt, kefir and buttermilk. In India, mattha or chaas is a similar spiced buttermilk drink.
Storage
Keep homemade leben refrigerated and eat it within a few days.
People also ask
What is leben?
A traditional fermented milk of the Middle East and North Africa, either a thick yogurt or a thin buttermilk-style drink depending on the region.
Where does leben come from?
From the Arabic-speaking world. No inventor or date is documented; fermenting milk is an old preservation tradition.
Is leben the same as yogurt?
In the Levant it is much like plain yogurt. In the Maghreb it is a thinner buttermilk-style drink.
Sources
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