A guide to Nabulsi — the Palestinian brined cheese flavored with nigella and mastic. Its origins in Nablus, its flavor, and how it's used.
Nabulsi is one of the most beloved cheeses of the Levant — a firm, white, brined cheese from the Palestinian city of Nablus, traditionally flavored with nigella seeds and aromatic mastic. Salty, springy, and distinctive, it's central to Palestinian cuisine and a star ingredient in regional sweets.
What Nabulsi Is
Nabulsi cheese takes its name from Nablus, a Palestinian city historically renowned for it. It's a firm, white brined cheese traditionally made from sheep's or goat's milk, though cow's milk is also used. The cheese is boiled during production, which gives it a firm, elastic texture, and it's cured in brine. What sets it apart is its flavoring: it's often studded with black nigella seeds and scented with mastic, an aromatic resin.
Nigella and Mastic
Two traditional flavorings give Nabulsi its character. Nigella seeds (sometimes called black seed) add small dark flecks and a subtle, peppery, herbal note. Mastic, a fragrant resin from the mastic tree, lends a distinctive piney, slightly sweet aroma. These flavorings, along with the brine, distinguish Nabulsi from plainer white cheeses and tie it to the culinary traditions of the Levant.
Flavor and Texture
Nabulsi is firm, dense, and springy, with a smooth white paste. The flavor is salty and savory from the brine, with the milky richness of sheep's or goat's milk and the gentle, aromatic notes of nigella and mastic. Because it's brined, it can be quite salty, and like other brined cheeses it's often soaked in water before eating or cooking to mellow the saltiness. When heated, it softens and becomes pleasantly stretchy.
Savory and Sweet Uses
Nabulsi is versatile. As a table cheese, it's sliced and eaten with bread, olives, and tomatoes, or fried until golden. Its real fame, though, comes in desserts: it's a classic cheese for knafeh (kunafa), the celebrated Levantine dessert of pastry and cheese soaked in sweet syrup, where its salty, stretchy character contrasts beautifully with the sweetness. It's also used in savory pastries and breads.
Pairings
Nabulsi pairs with the flavors of the Levant — olives, tomatoes, za'atar, and fresh bread on the savory side, and sweet syrup, pistachios, and pastry in desserts. It fits naturally into both meze spreads and the dessert table, much like its relative Akawi.
Buying and Storing
Nabulsi is sold in blocks, usually in brine, at Middle Eastern markets. Keep it refrigerated in its brine and use within a couple of weeks. Soak it in fresh water before using to reduce saltiness, particularly for desserts and frying.
Frequently Asked Questions
What flavors Nabulsi cheese?
Traditionally nigella seeds, which add peppery flecks, and aromatic mastic resin, which lends a piney, slightly sweet scent.
Where does Nabulsi come from?
The Palestinian city of Nablus, historically famous for producing this brined cheese.
Is Nabulsi used in desserts?
Yes. It's a classic cheese for knafeh (kunafa), where its salty, stretchy texture contrasts with sweet syrup and pastry.