Akawi (also spelled Akkawi or Ackawi) is a white brine cheese from the Levant region, named after the Palestinian port city of Akka (Acre). It has a mild, salty flavor and a soft, slightly spongy texture that melts easily when heated. That melting quality is what makes it the go-to cheese for kunafa and other iconic Middle Eastern desserts.
Where Akawi Comes From
The name literally means “from Akka” in Arabic. Akka is a coastal city with a long trading history, and the cheese became a staple across Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt. Today it’s produced throughout the Middle East and sold in specialty stores worldwide. Cow’s milk is the traditional base, though some producers experiment with blends that include camel milk or sheep’s milk.
Flavor, Texture, and Nutrition
Fresh akawi is white, semi-soft, and elastic. The flavor is clean and milky, but noticeably salty because the cheese is stored in brine. That saltiness is adjustable (more on that below), which makes it versatile for both sweet and savory cooking.
Per 100 grams, akawi cheese provides roughly 262 calories, 22 grams of protein, and 18 grams of fat (14 grams saturated). The sodium content is high at about 1,000 milligrams per 100 grams, which is typical for brine-stored cheeses. Soaking before use brings that number down significantly.
How to Desalt Akawi Before Cooking
Straight from the package, akawi is too salty for most recipes, especially desserts. The fix is simple: soak the cheese in fresh water. Cut it into slabs or cubes, submerge them in cold water, and change the water every few hours. For a moderate reduction in salt, a few hours of soaking is enough. For desserts like kunafa, where you want almost no salt at all, soak overnight or even up to 24 hours. Taste the cheese periodically until it hits the level you want.
The soaking process also softens the texture slightly, making the cheese even more pliable and melt-friendly. Once desalted, use it right away or store it in the fridge for a day or two.
Classic Dishes That Use Akawi
Akawi’s defining trait in the kitchen is how it behaves under heat. It melts completely into a stretchy, creamy layer rather than holding its shape. That property makes it the traditional filling for kunafa (knafeh), the famous Middle Eastern dessert made with shredded phyllo or semolina, soaked in sugar syrup. When you pull apart a slice of kunafa and see long cheese strings, that’s akawi at work. It’s also the standard cheese for qatayef, the stuffed pancakes served during Ramadan.
Beyond desserts, akawi works well in manakish (flatbreads topped with cheese), savory pastries, and pies. After soaking, you can cube it for salads or layer it in sandwiches where you want a mild, fresh cheese that won’t overpower other ingredients.
How Akawi Compares to Similar Cheeses
If you can’t find akawi, it helps to understand how it differs from its closest relatives.
- Nabulsi cheese is firmer and holds its shape when heated. It softens inside but doesn’t melt into strings the way akawi does. That makes nabulsi better for frying and grilling, where you want the cheese to brown on the outside while staying intact. Akawi is the better choice when you need full, gooey meltability.
- Halloumi is even firmer than nabulsi and has a higher melting point, so it barely melts at all on a grill or in a pan. It’s a grilling cheese, not a melting cheese. Substituting halloumi for akawi in kunafa would not produce the right result.
- Mozzarella is the most common substitute outside the Middle East. Low-moisture mozzarella mimics the stretch and melt of desalted akawi reasonably well, though the flavor is slightly different. For kunafa in a pinch, a blend of mozzarella and ricotta gets close.
Buying and Storing Akawi
In the Middle East, akawi is sold fresh at cheese shops and dairy counters, often cut to order from large blocks sitting in brine. Outside the region, look for it in Middle Eastern or Mediterranean grocery stores, usually vacuum-sealed or packed in brine in plastic containers. Some brands label it “Akkawi” or “Ackawi,” so check for alternate spellings if you don’t see it immediately.
Unopened and kept in its brine, akawi lasts several weeks in the refrigerator. Once opened, keep the cheese submerged in brine or lightly salted water and use it within a week or so. If the surface develops a slimy feel or an off smell, it’s past its prime.