Dairy

Awassi

A tier

Awassi is the fat-tailed dairy sheep of the Middle East—hardy under heat and poor pasture, with milk that underpins yoghurt, labneh, and white brined cheeses across the Levant and beyond. Fat and protein are high; flavour is distinctly sheepy in a pleasant, cooked-milk-sweet way when fresh. Improved Israeli and Turkish Awassi lines raised commercial yields without losing arid-land toughness. The milk is a cornerstone of Middle Eastern sheep dairying and appears in export genetics for hot-climate sheep dairies. Use it for thick yoghurt and halloumi-style cheeses that need solids.