Leben (Israeli milk product)
Encyclopedia
Leben is an Israel
i milk product similar to yoghurt
, though created using different cultures than those commonly found in traditional yoghurt. The product was created by Jewish settlers in the area around the beginning of the 20th century and was named leben, which is an Arabic word used to call a couple of basic milk products.
Leben was a staple of the Israeli diet for many years and was traditionally offered in three flavors, including chocolate, strawberry and plain. It was extremely popular as a breakfast food in Israel up until the early 1990s. It became increasingly scarce however as Strauss, one of the largest dairy companies in the country, introduced flavored yoghurt (starting in 1977) using more traditional yoghurt cultures and providing a wider range of flavors than was available in the form of leben.
Today, leben is only offered in plain form and is considered, according to the Encyclopedia of Jewish Food to be "old people's food." The plain version is however still ubiquitous and sold at virtually every dairy counter in the country. It is also one of a handful of products which is price controlled by the Israeli government.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i milk product similar to yoghurt
Yoghurt
Yoghurt, yogurt or yogourt is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yoghurt are known as "yoghurt cultures"...
, though created using different cultures than those commonly found in traditional yoghurt. The product was created by Jewish settlers in the area around the beginning of the 20th century and was named leben, which is an Arabic word used to call a couple of basic milk products.
Leben was a staple of the Israeli diet for many years and was traditionally offered in three flavors, including chocolate, strawberry and plain. It was extremely popular as a breakfast food in Israel up until the early 1990s. It became increasingly scarce however as Strauss, one of the largest dairy companies in the country, introduced flavored yoghurt (starting in 1977) using more traditional yoghurt cultures and providing a wider range of flavors than was available in the form of leben.
Today, leben is only offered in plain form and is considered, according to the Encyclopedia of Jewish Food to be "old people's food." The plain version is however still ubiquitous and sold at virtually every dairy counter in the country. It is also one of a handful of products which is price controlled by the Israeli government.