Zebda baladi: Traditional Egyptian Butter

Learn the art of churning milk in goat skin to make the perfect butter.

Making feteer bel samna baladi (2019-12-07) by NawayaNawaya

The magic of zebda baladi

Zebda baladi, local butter, is what gives Egyptian cuisine its unique flavor. This is especially true for rural communities living in the Nile valley and Delta who do not like the flavor of their food or pastries cooked with olive, sunflower or corn oil.

Zebda baladi - traditional butter (2020-09-12) by NawayaNawaya

Making samna

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. 

Making samna (ghee) (2020-10-26) by NawayaNawaya

Morta

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 on bread (2020-10-26) by NawayaNawaya

Salty and cheesy

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.  

Cows at the farm (2020-09-18) by NawayaNawaya

Keeping the tradition alive

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.

Women hanging their erba - a goat skin used to make butter (zebda baladi) (2020-08-25) by NawayaNawaya

The ancient art of making samna

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.   

Zebda baladi (ghee) (2020-09-20) by NawayaNawaya

How to make traditional Egyptian butter

The process of making traditional butter, is not for the weak or the faint of heart. Women rock containers they sew from salted goat skin, filled with up to 20 liters of milk. 

Securing the erba with nail (2019-09-08) by NawayaNawaya

Step 1: Getting the goat skin

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.   

Fermenting milk in the erba - a goat skin used for making butter (zebda baladi) (2020-08-25) by NawayaNawaya

Step 2: Filling the erba

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.   

Woman making zeba baladi - butter with her erba (2020-08-25) by NawayaNawaya

Step 3: Churning the erba

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. 

Erba with milk ready for churning (2019-08-25) by NawayaNawaya

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.   

Empting the erba from buttermilk (2020-08-25) by NawayaNawaya

Step 4: Scooping out the butter

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

Churning butter in the erba (2019-08-25) by NawayaNawaya

Step 5: Storing the erba

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.

Credits: Story

Curator: Laura Tabet
Research: Laura Tabet
Photography: Nada Elissa, Nawaya

Special thanks to the women of Baladini kitchen. 

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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