The Wide World of Yogurt (Greek, Icelandic, French... What's the Difference?)

+ recipe for Skyr Cheesecake with Strawberries

The Wide World of Yogurt

Yogurt has been in the headlines recently since the FDA green lit the claim that “Eating yogurt regularly, at least 2 cups (3 servings) per week, may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes according to limited scientific evidence.”  I’m not sure I needed any more convincing of yogurts benefits, but that news has inspired me to devote this and the next issue for paid subscribers to this wondrous food. So let’s dive in to some yogurt!

I remember, way back in the early 2000s, when Greek yogurt was only available at specialty stores, so you had to go out of your way to get it, or make it yourself by thickening regular yogurt in a strainer. In fact, the recipes in my first cookbook, The Food You Crave, which call for thickened yogurt all include instructions for making it yourself.  Now, of course, just about every grocery store carries Greek yogurt, and its success has opened our minds and taste buds to yogurt’s world of possibilities. Now you can globe-hop in the dairy department with France, Australia, Bulgaria, Iceland and others represented. This United Nations of yogurt options is exciting, but it can also make for a mind boggling shopping experience, so I did a world-tour tasting to break down the differences between them for you here.

Yogurt Basics

Yogurt is basically just bacteria and milk. To make it you heat milk, allow it to cool somewhat, add live cultures (bacteria), let the mixture incubate until it thickens, and voila, you have yogurt. It’s a pretty simple process which people have been doing for thousands of years, but there is an art to it too, and countless ways to vary the basic formula and make it your own, which is why different societies have, over time, developed distinct yogurt heritages. You can use different kinds of milk (whole or low-fat, milk from a cow, sheep or goat, or even non-dairy milk) vary the specific types and combinations of bacteria, and use different vessels to make it. You can strain it, a little or a lot, to remove the whey and thicken the final product; and course, you can add flavors, sweet or savory.

These variables affect not only the taste and texture of the final product, they can make a nutritional difference too. In my next newsletter for paid subscribers I’ll get into specifics about yogurt nutrition and explore some unexpected ways to use yogurt in your cooking.  For now, let’s dig into some common varieties yogurt so you know what you’re getting when you are deciding between, say, a Bulgarian- or French-style one.

Bulgarian

One of the most common bacterial cultures used in yogurt around the world today is native to Bulgaria and named for the country: lactobacillus bulgaricus. That bacterial strain is the main one used to make Bulgarian yogurt today and it gives the yogurt one of its defining taste characteristics. Bulgarian yogurt has a pleasant but pronounced tart flavor and its texture is creamy but light and loose, as it is unstrained. Available in whole milk and low-fat varieties, Bulgarian yogurt is closest in texture to what I remember was sold as yogurt in the U.S. 20 years ago.

Greek

Mildly tangy Greek yogurt owes its thick, creamy texture to a straining process where some of its whey is drained off and discarded. This gives it the perfect texture to replace mayonnaise or sour cream in dips and dressings, and, I know you know, it makes a satisfying, good-for-you snack, as long as you stick to options without much added sugar.

Icelandic

There is some debate as to whether skyr, an ancient staple food in Iceland, should be called yogurt at all, or if it is really more of a cheese. It is certainly yogurt-like in that it is a cultured milk product, and you can find it in the yogurt aisle in the grocery store. But because it is strained even more than Greek yogurt, it is very thick and glossy, with the consistency and flavor undertone of a tangy, spoon-able cheese. Traditionally skyr, is made with skim or low-fat milk, but it is sold here in whole milk varieties as well, and the flavored versions tend to be only lightly sweetened. Its ultra-thick, cheese-like texture makes it ideal for replacing cream cheese in recipes, as you can see from the luscious skyr cheesecake recipe I have included below.

French