Leben (Middle Eastern Sour Milk)
Leben is a traditional Middle Eastern or North African drink. Making it is very simple.
Total
24:20
Yield
20 cups
Ingredients
- 1 gallon homogenized whole milk
- 1 cup unflavored (plain) yogurt
- 1 quart half and half cream (optional) (optional)
- 1 teaspoon citric acid (optional) (optional)
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional) (optional)
- Total:
- 24:20
- Yield:
- 20 cups
Instructions
-
1Add the milk to a large pot. Boil until it starts to foam.
-
2Turn off the heat and wait for the milk to cool to room temperature.
-
3Stir in the yogurt and half and half.
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4To make your leben more sour, boil the mixture and add the citric acid along with it until it starts to foam. To make your leben more sweet, boil the mixture and add the sugar along with it until it starts to foam. It is not recommended to add the sugar and citric acid together in your leben. This will worsen its taste.
-
5Stir well, cover with a towel, and let rest overnight at room temperature.
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6Uncover and stir, then enjoy.
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7To preserve your leben, cool it as a regular dairy product.
- Category
- Beverages
Recipe Attribution
Wikibooks Cookbook
Printed from recipe.exchange
https://recipe.exchange/recipes/wb-447234
Printed on October 29, 2026