🧀 Chami (Emirati fresh cheese)
Chami is a soft, crumbly fresh cheese from the Emirates, made by straining salted yogurt or soured milk until thick. It tastes mild and tangy, a little like a dry labneh or cottage cheese. It is eaten at breakfast with dates, rolled into thin regag bread or drizzled with olive oil.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kg plain full-fat yogurt
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Method
- Stir the salt and lemon juice into the yogurt.
- Spoon it into a cloth-lined sieve over a bowl and leave in the fridge for 12–24 hours to drain.
- Squeeze out the remaining liquid, crumble the curd and keep refrigerated for up to 4 days.
How to make it lighter
- Make it from low-fat yogurt for a lighter, still tangy chami.
- Pair it with one or two dates rather than a full plate to keep sugar in check.
- Measure the olive oil drizzle — 1 tbsp is about 120 kcal.
History
Chami is a traditional dairy food in the UAE and neighbouring Gulf countries, long made at home as a way to use and keep milk; today it is still found at Emirati breakfasts and heritage markets.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →