Delicacy in Disguise
Homemade yogurt is one of Zebda's revelatory tastes
At Zebda, the tiny Mediterranean-Middle Eastern deli that opened in June on the edge of Albany Park, you'll find trays of fresh-baked savory pastilles (pastries), beef tagines and stuffed artichoke hearts. But one of their most addictive offerings is easily overlooked: A humble plastic cup in the refrigerated case that holds creamy, floral, cult-worthy homemade yogurt.
While most everything in the shop is made by Katie Garcia (formerly the chef of Pilsen's Mundial Cocina Mestiza), the yogurt is made by a native Moroccan, Akmed Manar, who also makes their bread, Moroccan cookies and flaky pastilles. Manar adds orange blossom water to the sweetened organic yogurt, which he makes with a starter carried over from batch to batch, like artisanal sourdough bread.
The yogurt's silky texture is a happy medium between dense Greek yogurt and the thinner style we've become accustomed to in America. Depending on the day, it might come flavored with vanilla, topped with gelled orange juice and fresh orange segments or a puddinglike chocolate concoction ($3). Taken to go, as Zebda's offerings are meant to be, it makes an easy (but novel) dessert pairing for fresh berries.
In the Middle East, sweet yogurt is often treated as a light afternoon snack, most popular during the hot summer months. We say: Good luck putting down the spoon, whenever you eat it.
Zebda, 4344 N. Elston Ave.; (773) 545-7000 or zebdadeli.com
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