JBEN – Moroccan Fresh Cheese Recipe

JBEN – Moroccan Fresh Cheese Recipe

Jben, also called Jben Beldi, is Morocco national cheese. It’s so popular and loved by Moroccans that they include it in almost every breakfast and brunch they make. Soft, creamy, delicious, and nourishing, once you try Moroccan Jben (if you haven’t already), you will fall in love with its deliciousness.

Moroccan Jben has its origins in the Rif Mountains located in Northern Morocco. It is traditionally made with raw goat’s milk, raw cow milk, or a mixture of milk and buttermilk.

The Moroccan Jben comes plain or flavored with aromatics like salt, thyme, pepper, or honey.

When making the traditional Moroccan Jben, Moroccan women filter the milk and pour it into a terracotta jar, then cover it with a cheesecloth to allow for fermentation. The fermentation takes 12 hours and can go up to 48 hours depending on the season and temperature.

The resulting cheese is then drained in fine cheesecloth bags, which are hung for a few days (5 to 10 days) to complete the drainage. In the Rif mountains where this cheese is from, drainage lasts up to 10 days to have the best consistency and moisture.

Luckily, you don’t have to wait all these days to make the Moroccan Jben. In fact, while the traditional way results in more delicate cheese, most Moroccan women go for an easier and shorter process which I will share with you below. You Jben will still be soft, creamy, and flavorful and you will be able to make a delicious batch in less than 12 hours.

You will need real buttermilk for this recipe. I tried many brands and the only one that works each time is Kate’s Real Buttermilk. You can find this brand in many supermarkets in the U.S (Wholefoods, Stop and Shop, Target, etc.). Their buttermilk is unprocessed, pure, and made the old-fashioned way, which is probably why my Moroccan cheese has the best texture and flavor when made using it as an ingredient.