Sales for Greek yogurt (GY) have skyrocketed in the past 5 years. It’s all the rage. I first heard about GY from my dad…he was going on and on about when he was in Greece the yogurt there was amazing…put a little honey in it..and wazam-better than ice cream! I was disgusted…honey in yogurt…that sounds DI-SGUSTING! Sadly, I never tried it. Not until about 2 years ago at least, and even then i just put it in my smoothies and never actually ate it. Then that fateful day came where I used some strawberries from my mom’s garden, drizzled a tad of honey over it, and fell in love. Granted, the “Greek-Style” yogurt that I used is probably different that the real deal my Dad talked about, but it is still good nonetheless. So what is GY?
Well…first lets look at what yogurt is…
Yogurt is essentially fermented milk. The milk is heated to 185- 200 degrees F and left at that temperature for 10-30 min (the longer it’s heated, the thicker it gets). The milk is then quickly cooled to about 110 degrees F and the yogurt starter is added (to be considered yogurt it must contain Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus, but may contain other bacteria). After the starter is added, the milk is then “incubated” at 100 degrees F for at least 4 hours (the longer it is incubated, the more tart it will taste). After the incubation, the yogurt should be stored in a cool environment for about 1-2 weeks.
Real GY, not “greek-style” yogurt is traditionally made from sheep’s milk. It is strained through muslin or cheesecloth or even paper, and removes the whey (which is what put the Greek in Greek Yogurt). By removing the liquid whey, it gives the yogurt a consistency that is more thick and creamy than milk, but less than cheese. It also removes most of the milk sugar, and lactose while staying high in protein. Most GY are now made with cow’s milk and have an added thickener to it.
Plain GY contains twice the amount of protein as regular yogurt, more than half the sugar, and the texture is so rich and creamy that you feel satisfied after eating it. put a little bit of honey, berries, and flax meal in it, and you’ve got yourself a very filling meal, with no refined sugar. You can also make dressings, marinades, baked goods, add it to smoothies, etc. Also, GY is less likely to curdle when cooking or baking with it because the liquid whey is removed.
One thing to keep in mind while buying ANY yogurt (GY or regular) is how much sugar is added to it! Some yogurt contains more sugar than a candy bar, and we think that is healthy!! Be wary, and read the labels. In my opinion, you should always buy plain, full-fat yogurt. Plain yogurt takes a bit of getting used to, but you can always add a little honey and fruit to sweeten it up! I personally like The Greek God’s Yogurt, however it is pasteurized and not organic; however, it is a local (founded in Seattle) business. I am going to try to make my own yogurt using my raw milk I get from the cow share, since I have yet to find raw milk yogurt.
Elizabeth Horn 