I was fortunate to grow up in Istanbul, surrounded by a variety of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dips and mezzes. But no matter how elaborate our spread of mezze platters was, I always found myself gravitating toward the labneh.
Whether spread over roast chicken or scooped up with warm bread, this creamy, tangy soft spread and its refreshing simplicity were the perfect companion to just about everything on the table.
Labneh is a soft cheese made by straining yogurt. It’s been enjoyed in Middle Eastern cuisines for hundreds — if not thousands — of years. Although different people and cultures might prepare it slightly differently, it consistently has a thick, creamy texture and a mildly tart, tangy flavor. (You might see its name spelled in various ways, such as labaneh or labna.) It’s often served on a plate topped with za’atar and olive oil and enjoyed with warm pita bread or pita chips.
I’ve been searching for a store-bought version of labneh that delivers the same signature flavor as my childhood staple — and thanks to Costco, I might have found it. Last week, I taste-tested the Yaza Roasted Garlic & Mint Labneh from Costco, and as someone who knows how to make labneh at home, it completely caught me by surprise.
What you should know about the Yaza Roasted Garlic & Mint Labneh at Costco
The Yaza Roasted Garlic & Mint Labneh is made with plain labneh, roasted garlic, spearmint, and salt. According to Yaza, when making the spread, “We expertly fuse roasted garlic [and] fresh mint to craft a delicious dip that you can put on anything.”
This Mediterranean-style labneh is now available at Northeast Costco stores in an exclusive 24-ounce tub of its aromatic and herby flavor for just $8.99, and it’s something that’s well worth stocking in bulk.
To put this price into perspective, 12-ounce containers of Yaza Labneh are typically sold for $6.99 at other retailers — about $0.58 per ounce — while the 24-ounce Costco option comes in at just $0.37 per ounce. “That makes the Costco 24-ounce container about 36% cheaper per ounce than the 12-ounce size,” a Yaza representative explains.
A brand spokesperson also confirms to Food & Wine that this Mediterranean-style yogurt dip is “made with dairy from family farms in Upstate New York.”
Yaza Foods was founded by Christian Karim Khalil, who was searching for a quality labneh in the United States and decided to make his own. As the brand’s website explains, “He started making labneh in his kitchen, spending days straining yogurt through a cheesecloth. Friends came to visit, tried the labneh, and loved it,” which inspired the birth of Yaza.
My honest review of Yaza Roasted Garlic & Mint Labneh
Food & Wine / Yaza
As any delicious labneh should be, the Yaza Roasted Garlic & Mint Labneh has a wonderfully thick consistency with no excess water on top. Because I usually prefer plain labneh, I expected the garlic to overpower the cheese’s refreshing tang. Luckily, this product proved me wrong; while you can immediately smell the garlic, the flavor was pleasantly balanced, likely because Yaza roasts the allium to bring out its sweetness.
The fresh mint adds bright, herbal notes to the dip, taking the labneh to another level. After dipping a few bagel chips (unfortunately, I didn’t have any pita on hand) into the yogurt-based dip, I decided to finish it with extra-virgin olive oil, sumac, and chili flakes to truly make it a mezze treat.
How can you use the Yaza Roasted Garlic & Mint Labneh?
I prefer labneh’s thick and creamier texture over regular yogurt, so I use it as a topping for a variety of meals, like manti (Turkish dumplings) or the traditional breakfast dish çılbır (Turkish-style poached eggs) as well.
But feel free to break from tradition like creator Krista Stucchio (@kristastucchio) and spread the aromatic labneh over toast for breakfast, then add olive oil, cherry tomatoes, and za’atar on top. Another Costco shopper recommends pairing it with the popular warehouse retailer’s rotisserie chicken — a combo that I absolutely stand behind.
The flavored labneh’s exclusive, generous size at Costco is the kind of item you’ll unexpectedly find yourself using in almost every meal. Add it to sandwiches, homemade gyros, bowls, and many other dishes, like our Stuffed Eggplant with Spiced Beef and Pine Nuts.