Baladi
Baladi is a soft white cheese from the Middle East, made from a mixture of goat, cow and sheep milk. It is fresh, unpasteurized, rindless and mild yet rich in flavor, with a shelf life of only about three days.
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | Lebanon, Middle East |
| Specific Origin | The Middle East |
| Milk Type | Cow's, goat's and sheep's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Unpasteurized |
| Fat Content | 22% |
| Moisture Content | High |
| Rind | Rindless |
| Texture | Fresh soft, artisan |
| Flavor | Buttery, mild, salty, sweet |
| Aroma | Fresh |
| Colors | White |
| Forms | Balls less than 10 cm in diameter |
| Rennet Type | Added in powder or tablet form |
| Also Known As | Jibneh Khadra, Jibnah Baladi, Baladieh, Jibneh Baladi |
What is Baladi Cheese?
Baladi cheese comes from the Middle East. The word baladi means village or country, and the milk comes from baladi goats. In Lebanon shepherds make it high in the mountains, which is why it also goes by cheese of the mountains. The unprocessed Lebanese version is sometimes called green cheese, jibneh khadra.
It is a fresh cheese, traditionally unpasteurized and uncultured, made with a mixture of goat, cow and sheep milk. Rennet goes in as a powder or tablet, and cultures similar to yogurt cultures can be added. The cheese is submerged in brine, taken out quickly, then sold. Some makers shape it into balls under 10 cm across before storing it.
Baladi is soft, white and rindless, with a design on the surface left by the draining basket or hoop. It has the same size and shape as Syrian cheese but slightly more fat, and the texture is softer, creamier and less chewy. The flavor is mild yet rich.
High moisture, no culture and no pasteurization hold the shelf life to about three days. Unpasteurized sheep milk can lead to infection, so the cheese is sometimes tested for Brucella and pasteurized. Some industrial dairy plants produce it under well controlled sanitary conditions.
How Does Baladi Cheese Compare?
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