Zebda baladi: Traditional Egyptian Butter

When butter is melted it is turned into ghee, samna which is what defines the taste of most Egyptian dishes and cuisine. Before the arrival of commercial oils for cooking, Egyptians relied mainly on animal based cooking fats. Samna is made by melting the butter until it clarifies. It is then sieved and collected in a storage container to use in cooking. 

When the delicious butter derivatives, morta arrives. It is the ghee residue that remains at the bottom of the pot the zebda baladi was melted in. 

Morta can be scraped off and spread over fresh baladi bread. It is a salty, cheesy topping that infuses into the soft dough of the baladi bread. It has a familiar yet new taste for those who first try it. Thankfully, morta cannot be made in large quantities, as it is quite addictive. Its full pleasure is reserved to those who still take the time to make their own ghee.  

Zebda baladi is expensive, and is not always available. The process of making zebda baladi is time and labor intensive; it’s a dying art that is slowly disappearing. Less and less people own cattle and process their own milk.

It is true today, that many Egyptians, even those living in villages have not witnessed let alone experienced making zebda baladi. But when one does have the chance to partake in making the zebda, it is truly a unique experience. The process involves creating a container for churning the butter, out of a goat’s skin. This container is called the erba.   

The goat skin is purchased clean from local tanneries, and brought home to cure in large amounts of salt. The salt is essential to preserving the erba over long periods of time. The edges are sewn together so that it can be entirely sealed when filled with milk. Women secure the edges and attach ropes, so that the erba can hang easily.   

Once milk is collected, the erba is filled and closely shut, left to ferment for a few days. This depends on the weather; the hotter it is the faster the milk ferments inside the erba. Fermentation of the milk prior to churning the milk in the erba is essential for the fat to separate from the whey.   

Once ready, the women secure the ropes of the erba to a high place, to hang the erba at hip height so the women can grasp it comfortably. The erba is filled with air and the goat skin expands like a balloon. Then in a constant motion, women churn the erba, which can last up to one hour. 

Opening the erba and checking if the fat has separated, will indicate when the woman should stop. Some women know this instinctively by how the milk feels as it is churning in the erba.   

When ready, the air is released and the butter is scooped out by hand into a container.  

Once empty the erba is stored again until the next butter making day. The butter is pressed and sold in the shape of a ball by weight.