Gbejniet tal-bzar - A Unique Maltese Cheese

Gbejniet tal-bzar is a peppered variety of Gbejniet and is covered in crushed black pepper and cured in vinegar. Their sharp taste becomes more piquant the more they age, and they also develop a crumbly texture. They can be eaten fresh or air-dried to form a harder cheese.
Get a personalised video message via Cameo;www.cameo.com/...
Help fund the next cheese-making video by pledging your support at Patreon; / greeningofgavin or becoming a member of the channel; / @gavinwebber
Curd Nerd Newsletter; www.littlegree...
My First cheese-making eBook, "Keep Calm and Make Cheese" courses.little...
My Second cheese-making eBook "Keep Calm and Make More Cheese" cheesemantv.cr...
Gavin's cheese shop; www.littlegree...
Gavin's Amazon cheese shop; www.amazon.com...
Curd Nerd Academy Beginners Course; courses.little...
Merch; merch.cheesema...
To purchase a stainless steel curd harp; www.etsy.com/s...
Check out my other cheese tutorials; • All Cheese Making Tuto...
My Little Green Cheese Podcast, visit www.littlegree...
The music in the videos is from Epidemic Sound; www.epidemicso...
Facebook;
/ thecheesemantv

[@Ewuser660]

I WAS PROMISED ANGERY ITALIANS!?

[@lenelrdea451]

Me too

[@sharoncalleja3291]

Thank you for this video and for sharing our gbejniet (I'm from Malta). I don't know if you're aware, but we have 3 versions of these gbejniet, at different stages of the process. When they're just made, we add them whole to soups such as minestra which is a vegetable soup, ful bil-kusksu which is a bean soup and soppa tal-armla which is a different kind of vegetable soup. At this stage they are gbejniet friski (fresh cheeselets) and these are sold in a little bit of whey. We also eat them once they're dried before curing and peppering, eat with dips, bread and butter, crackers, water biscuits, or any way you fancy, and of course there are the peppered cheeselets as you explained very well. You can also make ricotta with the whey from the gbejniet 🙂

[@CoffeeTip]

Well done for giving this a go. Traditionally they are normally much smaller. I get 9 from 2 litres of milk. I dry mine in the air! Then use white wine vinegar as it is not as harsh to taste. A tip to save on vinegar is to put them in a resealable bag then add the vinegar. After 24 hours replace the vinegar with fresh vinegar then store in the fridge!

[@GavinWebber]

Thanks for the tips!

[@brianschembri4799]

Im maltese try that with bread tomato paste,onions toped with olive oil you will love it :)

[@shootersa7904]

Hi gavin, absolutely love your videos, they are amazing! Did you ever consider making Gamalost? It's a great cheese that is mainly made in Vik, Norway. Unusual texture but really delicious! Keep up the great work

[@falconsinput2226]

Great Gav, You can pronounce it like this Shbay- neart Tul Bzar. Or Jeborn Tul Bzar

[@maltesekatvassallo]

Hi, I live in Michigan, USA near Detroit. My Dad is from Malta and my Nanna (Grandma) used to store these in the fridge after peppering them in a vinegar mixture. When I was in college, I kept a small jar in my dorm fridge and had some for a snack. Also, Charlie Pace, do you have a recipe for Galletti? Nanna showed me how to make these, but she didn't measure anything.

[@PatriciaGauci]

Hi Kathleen. Here is a link for a KZbin tutorial for home-made Galletti. Maybe this will help. kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3S5fqiCYpWCfZI

[@fluufy1917]

Anyone else here from Insta?

[@Vulpsune]

im here from a reddit post

[@praneethravuri7149]

Me too

[@Tiffany-rz8be]

The bob ross of cheese

[@joport7046]

Gbejniet tal-bzar can last for years if you air dry them cured in vinegar and put pepper and salt

[@brandonrabie6013]

Came here from Instagram. Where the angry Italians at?

[@kermitdfrog1739]

Here from the funny sound Australian for the wholesome cheese Australian. Very nice

[@tdb7992]

I would love to order one of the curd nerd aprons. Are they sold as merch?

[@GavinWebber]

www.cafepress.com.au/cheesemantv.1847909759?

[@00brick93]

nice

[@giorgio77760]

If you want traditional maltese gbejniet use sheep's milk.

[@Annatar3019]

found your channel through a joke on instagram but i don't see the angry italians in the comments

[@moejaber7362]

Me neither, disappointment ensues

[@FivedotFiveSix]

I was with you until you soaked them in vinegar.

[@peglamphier4745]

See? That's whey I perked up and thought, I have to watch this one right now. But I'm a fan of al pickled things.

[@notyourpapi]

I am here for the Italians.

[@aiden9410]

Just saw a meme and I am also looking for the italians

[@adamaxiak5109]

Unlike Italians, Maltese people don’t get offended when non Maltese make their cheeses 😅

[@Funpants94]

What did I miss?

[@matthewb8229]

I love the way you talk to yourself when you're doing the narration. "Turn it the other way, Gav. There ya go." Made me laugh.

[@marium9239]

*WHERE ARE THE ITALIANS*

[@no1fanofthepals]

This is a maltese cheese

[@marium9239]

@@no1fanofthepals yeah i can see that, i'm not blind 😗

[@jw5094]

I am also here for the Italians

[@lorddinkdink8937]

Kinda disappointed i don't see any angry italians

[@caydenallen1537]

exactly what I’m here looking for rn and I’m not finding it man. very disappointed.

[@zeoarmada8650]

This is Arabic indeed : Jibnet El bzar , means in English : The black pepper (El bzar ) and cheese ( Jibbneh ) Greetings from Syria land of Karish and white cheese made from ewes milk

[@palatoraffinato7552]

you are totally wrong my friend im Maltese and its Gbejniet tal-bzar not how you said it and no its not arabic

[@darkkitchenrecords2625]

​@@palatoraffinato7552 it is arabic. It literally means pepper cheese.

[@memelorddundy7820]

@@darkkitchenrecords2625 it's probably both. Maltese is an Arabic-derived language

[@liftx1052]

Anyone find yourself here because of a meme or is that just me!?

[@Beer4Breakfast]

Eya it’s a mee’a. Stoppa making bettar fromaggio par me Shawn than the Italianos. Bueno

[@mjr8888]

Half-Maltese here, I love pepper cheese! We use to "import" it in a giant container, now we have to get the kind that is government regulated, but it's still damn good!

[@zeoarmada8650]

hi to you, Do you know : Jibbnet El-Halloum ?

[@aloysiussnailchaser272]

The pronunciation is almost there. The initial g is pronounced as a j, it’s more like jibenyet. Which is, of course, very similar to Arabic. There’s quite a lot of Arabic in Maltese. Market is suq, street is triq, and (although they're mostly Roman Catholic) god is alla. I’m not Maltese but we spent some time there and were married in Valletta.

[@thossi09]

Is there a lot of Arabic in Maltese, or is Maltese a Semitic language and so shares plenty of similarities with Arabic?

[@aloysiussnailchaser272]

@@thossi09 Wikipedia will tell you a lot more than I can, not surprisingly :-) It says: 'Maltese is a Semitic language spoken by the Maltese people. It is the national language of Malta and the only Semitic official language of the European Union. Maltese is a Latinised variety of spoken historical Arabic through its descent from Siculo-Arabic, which developed as a Maghrebi Arabic dialect during the Emirate of Sicily between 831 and 1091.' Estimates of the proportion of Arabic words in Maltese vary from 32-40%.

[@tobbe151]

Hardcore comedy brought me here, gday curd nerds!

[@kyleritchart223]

You make absolutely fantastic videos because of you and I know make cheeses as a hobby, but may I make a recommendation? I found the double boiler you use to be difficult to me, but on thing I've had for a while is a sous vide cooker and I found this to be a great and easier option than the double boiler. I set my large pot into a larger container, and in this larger container I fill with water and put my sous vide cooker in there. I can set it to the exact and precise temperature; however, I can imagine it take my pot longer than yours to get the temperature. I'm sure you have become a complete pro at the double boiler but as a beginner this is much simpler for me LOL!!! Seconds after I made this post I saw your vid about the sous vide cooker! Apologies!

[@bellevuecale]

Am I the only one here from an Instagram post?

[@pessimistic5579]

maltese local here it's not that hard to pronounce once you know how to read in maltese. Ġbejniet tal-bżar Ġ - a soft G, like in the words Gesture or Generate bej - pronounced similar to "bay". in maltese, J makes a Y sound. niet - pronounced like нет in russian, or if you dont know russian, pronounced "knee-ett" with emphasis on the 'ee' sound tal - a preposition, it means "of", and it's pronounced quicker, the A is half open, like in "Amazing" or "Agriculture" Bżar - In maltese we have 2 z letters, one with and one without a dot. the one with a dot is a regular Z, like in "buZZing" or "Zebra", the Bż sounds like you're imitating a bee "bzzzzz" and the 'ar' is the same as "far" altogether, 4 syllables syllable, Ġbej niet tal bżar

[@GavinWebber]

Thanks

[@heidisnow]

Wow! Thank you for breaking it down like this. Very helpful!!

[@JJ-yn5pk]

when l make the maltese cheese l dry them out semi hard wash with white vinegar and place in a large glass jat and cover with black pepper and constantly shake till all the cheese is covered this cheese l have had for 3 to 4 yrs in the jar the older the cheese the better the taste This soft cheese was mainly for the city folk but in the country they would dry them

[@patrickhayes6348]

Hello from Las Vegas USA. Love your videos. It's gotten to when my wife and daughter hear good day curd nerds they know I'm temporarily unavailable 😄

[@patrickhayes6348]

When my wife and daughter hear good day curd needs they know I'm unavailable 😆

[@henrydickerson9776]

Sounds like it tastes as good as it looks. Looks like it would be perfect for beginners. And vinegar with cheese sounds unusual, but it makes perfect sense.

[@pcharliep61]

That was nice to see. traditional baskets are called Qwieleb which are a little smaller in size. These cheeses are really good on Maltese Galletti :) cheers

[@GavinWebber]

I just managed to get my hands on some of the authentic baskets. Hope to have them in our cheese basket section by the end of the week!

[@vishtu]

I've seen you make lots of cheeses with a pepper crust have you ever though about making one with Tasmanian Mountain Berries. They have a different chemical that make them spicy and they would impart a lovely puplish pink color to the cheese

[@GavinWebber]

Good idea. Thanks

[@des-ex-diver]

Got to say real Maltese pron: (phonetically) jbay'na is made with goats milk. Locals dry them on their flat roofs in the sun. The best ones (in my opinion) are then kept in olive oil. Some prefer in brine. Now this cheese is intense. But my fave is regular cheddar cheese on toast with thin slithers of this cheese in the mix. Enjoy. BTW... yep, I'm a Malteser 😊

[@ak2sav]

here from ig

[@je2338]

You're definitely not saying it right lol. Ill try and break it down. It's kind of like 'sch-bay-net'.

[@jedioverlord]

Sh-bay-neat tal bizarre closer to the Maltese pronunciation

[@CAROPARKMAN1]

Make comte

[@chircopmatt]

As a maltese, i look forward to your video!

[@iamcoolalot]

Fascinating! Never heard of this cheese before.

[@tanthiennguyen9308]

Bitte geben Sie es Applaudieren & mit der Strahlend Lächeln auf der Neurologie Anfallen Unterstützen brauchen

[@valeriacruz8590]

That cheese looks so good bro I’d take a good old bite out of it just like that

[@peglamphier4745]

I wonder if you used tri-color pepper corns it would be less spicy.... for those who have tender palate's like Gav.

[@SebastianButtigieg]

You have a way to go on the pronunciation other than that great👍👌

[@vincentazzopardi2445]

You need some home made Maltese crackers called Balletic

[@marygrech7644]

I do mike junkets and a bit of lemon or veneer that's it

[@TheRadioactive99]

Calcium Chloride????? You mean sodium chloride (salt)???!

[@GavinWebber]

Calcium chloride is added to the milk to add back soluble calcium destroyed during the pasteurisation process. Sodium chloride (salt) is added to the curds via brine slow or halt lactic bacteria development.

[@johnb820]

Tal bzar, tal bzar....

[@CanadianCharlie64]

In Malta we use sheep or goats milk

[@thisculturedlife2220]

Gavin, I made Gbejniet the other day and just ate one as Gbejna friska (fresh). It's wonderful just like that - like Schiz (Skee) it is milky and plain and can be snacked on with jam or honey or herbs or vinegar and oil. I'm going to store a few in whey and a few in brine, then dry the rest and soak in vinegar as you did.

[@chefsteve2023]

Being Maltese as i have been informed, Are they not to be sundried aswell to have a hard texture.

[@GavinWebber]

Yes they can be sun dried, but there are so many variations so I've been told by local Maltese folk that live near me.

[@PatriciaGauci]

Maltese cheese! So excited to make this for the relatives. Thank you, Gavin!

[@GavinWebber]

You’re welcome Patricia

[@aidaenglesakis3262]

Way are putting in water

[@michaelrae9599]

I wonder how different vinegars would taste

[@moniquem783]

I’m wondering about different spices because I’m not a fan of lots of pepper. I bet a homemade fruit vinegar would be very nice.

[@gatecitten]

Gavin can u make a specialty cheese like a cow milk cheese with cloves or what we call here in the netherlands "brandnetel" cheese i think u call those plants yust nettles

[@Positivelifeacademy]

Delicious my Nanna use to make them and mum , the authentic one is done with Goats 🐐 Milk but the cows milk is now used too

[@GavinWebber]

Thanks for sharing

[@Positivelifeacademy]

@@GavinWebber you are welcome

[@donnalafrance4506]

Will make this but use Zaatar instead of pepper!

[@kimbieandi]

That's a great idea! I love za'atar!

[@djpanther9621]

love the taste-test reactions!

[@agent1193]

🕶

[@emanueladavis1885]

Once dry place in a container and cover with vinegar. Place in the fridge overnight. Obtain your gbeniet and dip in cracked black pepper. Place in a jar and add vinegar and olive oil (two tablespoons each is all that is required). Continually turn jar to cover the gbejniet in olive oil and vinegar. Store in cupboard. They last for months however if you are like us it is very moorish and you keep going back and eating it. lol The Maltese dry it so that it is hard as a rock and it is not soft at all. YOu can do it both ways. I use junket tablets to make it. I leave it for 1 to 2 hours and then put it into the baskets. By the way you did not get it right mate not one little bit LOL The Name I mean lol.

[@hayi8957]

buzzin

[@henrydickerson9776]

I wonder how this would be rolled in za'atar instead of pepper.

[@GavinWebber]

You should try it Henry!

[@paceaqua]

Great Job Sir, I am to scared to attempt. Thank you for showing.

[@ALTMegakatlegoALT]

Love your videos. I have a much deeper appreciation of how cheese is made thanks to your videos. All the best from England!

[@vaazig]

I wonder how many watch from the UK. Gavin, do you have a breakdown of your viewers by country?

[@aidaenglesakis3262]

When you finish them you can soak them in bit of vinegar and oil raviniga and oil and they'll stay for longer

[@shawnemerylalfarosuyo5738]

THAT'S AWESOME GAV!

[@bheppes]

So it’s a pickled cheese?

[@GavinWebber]

Yes!

[@SangosEvilTwin]

oh I bet this cheese is amazing on Ħobż tal-Malti (I only know about this bread due to research I was doing for an RP, but it sounds amazing)

[@Kalysta]

I'm impressed at your pronunciation! It also looks delicious :)

[@Aresydatch]

Bazaar Cheese

[@thisculturedlife2220]

Peppercorn Cheese...Tal-bzar means peppercorn

[@MadJenno]

Maltese cheese is so good. Thanks for the awesome content !!!! Loving your channel .

[@jordanolsen6571]

Gavin, I am looking to make this cheese tomorrow. I was thinking now that you have tasted it, could you do different spices. I will do 2 black pepper and maybe 2 something else, Italian seasoning or something. What do you think?

[@GavinWebber]

Maybe an Italian herb mix?

[@jimduffy9773]

I'll be making this one!

[@adamaxiak5109]

The dried and peppered version are an acquired taste for a first timer Anglo. Also suggest trying them fresh without the pepper. More of a creamy and former version of ricotta

[@jhayneartoflife6830]

Delicious 👍👍👍

[@Cmochi]

God i love this guy

[@adamaxiak5109]

Hey Gav, eaten a million Gbeijniet but never tried Belpar Knolle. Are there any similarities in texture and taste?

[@GavinWebber]

The Belper Knolle has much more flavour, garlic

[@janeteholmes]

Calf lipase? Should I already know about this? I haven’t made much cheese for ages but I don’t remember calf lipase being a thing!

[@PatriciaGauci]

Calf lipase produces a milder result than kid (goat) lipase.

[@kimbieandi]

In the US, when we get natural lipase, it is from a calf

[@johnmirbach2338]

😁🖖👌✌👍😎

[@adamaxiak5109]

Thanks for doing this vid Interested to see what a non Maltese cheese wizard thinks when he does the taste test, even more so if Gavin can pronounce it properly. A tip for you curd nerd, there is a slight schb sound with the Gb and j is pronounced as y So it’s more like schbayniiit Probably too late if you have made the video already though

[@marisajames8158]

Sounds great!

[@dc-k4868]

Is there a vegetarian alternative to calf lipase? I've tried to find one but can't. I use raw milk so I wonder if I just omit it...

[@GavinWebber]

Yes, if you use goat’s milk, even better

[@adamaxiak5109]

You can use junket or renet tablets

[@gonzoducks8]

Is there somewhere to email you recipes?

[@GavinWebber]

My email address is available on the About tab of the channel.

[@adamaxiak5109]

I have been giving my dog cheese as a treat lately, so much so that I have taken to calling him curd nerd 😂

[@marygrech7644]

What the heck is this stuff

[@giorgio77760]

It is pronounced jbeyniet tal bzar. It's pache not pace

[@zexjs1]

I cooka da cheese

[@xcvrpt]

i found u on instagram because of ur intro lol

[@sammyvella6898]

Sent you a fb messenger

[@-Grall-]

Thank you for sharing this one Gavin.. I may give it a go this week.. Will have to try an stick to the recipe... Am Very curious as to how it may turn out with say maybe a wine vinegar.. hehehe may have to do two batches! lol why not just more cheese!! See what you do Gavin lol!