Christmas and Hannukah both fall on the 25th this year. Labneh is a strained yogurt dish that is often eaten with latkes in many Jewish households. It's also a dish celebrated across the Middle East, Mediterranean and the Balkans. Food is a uniting force and common experience. In the spirit of appreciating other cultures (pun intended) and eating local, we present to you a dish that allows you to celebrate the flavors of a different region by sticking to your own. 

Makes 1 cup of labneh

INGREDIENTS

Two cups plain yogurt (500 g)

A pinch of salt

2 tablespoons rose petal jam or jam of choice, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Mix the yogurt with the salt to draw out the water.

Line a small colander with a clean cotton tea towel, or two layers of cheesecloth, and place it over a bowl so that it doesn’t touch the bottom. Pour the yogurt in, then lightly cover it with the corners of the cloth.

Leave to drain in the fridge for 5-10 hours.

Spoon the labneh onto a plate, leave swirls to hold your favorite jam topping.

Recipe by: Saghar Setareh from Pomegranates and Artichokes: A Food Journey from Iran to Italy