Akkawi
| Akkawi cheese | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Akawi, Akawieh and Ackawi |
| Country of origin | Palestine (region) |
| Region | Levant |
| Town | Akka |
| Source of milk | Cow |
| Texture | Semi-hard[1] |
| Named after | City of Akka |
| Related media on Commons | |
Akkawi cheese (Arabic: جبنة عكاوي, romanized: jubna ʿakkāwī, also Akawi, Akawieh and Ackawi) is a white brine cheese named after the Palestinian city of Akka (Acre, present-day Israel).[1]
Etymology
Akkawi cheese is named after the port city of Akka (Arabic: عكّا). Akkawi in Arabic means "from Akka".[1][2]
History
Muslim scholar Ahmed Aref El-Zein's 1913 book The History of Sidon (تاريخ صيدا) contained a list of imported goods into Sidon, Lebanon from 1907, the list contains mentions of 1200 containers of "Akkawi cheese" (Arabic: جبن عكاوي, romanized: jubn ʻakkāwī) being imported from the cities of Haifa and Akka.[3]
Production and storage
Akkawi is commonly made with pasteurized cow's milk, but can also be made with goat or sheepmilk. This cheese is largely produced in the Middle East, notably in Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Egypt, and Cyprus.[1][2] In these regions, people usually eat it with a soft flatbread during lunch and dinner. Akkawi is hand-packed into square draining hoops and then cured in a salted whey brine for two days.[4]
Akkawi is produced by heating milk to 35-40 Celsius, adding rennet, then leaving it to curdle for around an hour, after which the whey is squeezed out through a cheesecloth to drain the cheese.[1][5]
Texture and taste
The color is white and it has a smooth texture and a mild salty taste. It is commonly used as a table cheese eaten by itself or paired with fruit.[1]
The texture can be compared to mozzarella, feta or a mizithra, since it does not melt easily. Akkawi can be stored up to a year.[2][6] The texture and flavor is a result of its specific culturing from its curds that are kept together for a prolonged period longer than simpler tasting curd cheese such as Syrian cheese when akkawi is transformed into cheese.[1][2]
Supply chain problems
The supply of akkawi has often been a problem in the Middle East. During the Lebanese Civil War, dairy animals were slaughtered and the country had to import akkawi from Eastern Europe. In Los Angeles, people used to make a substitute for akkawi by soaking feta cheese in several changes of water to desalinate it.[4]
See also
- Brined cheese – Cheese that is matured in brine
- List of cheeses
- List of stretch-curd cheeses – Cheeses prepared using the pasta filata technique
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Tamime, A. Y. (1991). R. K. Robinson and A. Y. Tamime (ed.). Feta and Related Cheeses. Woodhead Publishing. pp. 209–216. ISBN 978-1-85573-278-0.
- ^ a b c d "Ackawi". Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^
ʻĀrif Zayn, Aḥmad (1913). تاريخ صيدا [History of Sidon] (in Arabic). مطبعة العرفان. p. 131. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
جبن عكاوي, 1200, سحارة من عكا وحيفا
[Akawi cheese, 1200, containers from Acre and Haifa] - ^ a b Burm, Linda (28 January 1993). "MARKETS : Pulling Strings: Cheese From the East". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ Bolongaro, Kait (2 Feb 2016). "The Syrian cheese-maker of Bavaria". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
- ^ Burge, Natasha (3 July 2018). "It's Never Too Hot to Appreciate Fresh, Hot Bread". Roads & Kingdoms. Retrieved 11 November 2025.