Most of us are familiar with Middle Eastern dips like hummus and baba ganoush, but one that’s often conspicuously absent from party spreads is labneh.

Labneh’s relative scarcity from American tables is befuddling. The creamy spread, made from yogurt strained even further than the more familiar Greek variant, is similar in texture and flavor to soft cheese. Labneh is delicious in its basic form but is also an excellent base for bringing in additional spices and flavors.