I recently found a display at my local “self-serve yogurt store” that intrigued me. Yes, I took a picture. Yes, my kids cringed with mortification.
I love yogurt, frozen or otherwise, and I had to know if one of my favorite snacks truly meant “longevity”.
Origin of yogurt
- Yogurt: noun, from Turkish yogurt, meaning a tart, thick milk, from the Old Turkish root “yog” which meant to condense or intensify (BonAppetit.com)
Most scholars believe that yogurt has been around a long time… like 8000 years. Way back then, when herdsman in Central Asia milked their animals, the enzymes from the storage containers (animal stomachs) curdled and thickened the milk. The new food gained popularity because it stored well and tasted good.
Although I couldn’t find any evidence that the word itself means “long life”, Dairygoodness.ca and DownToEarth.Danone.com state that yogurt has long been associated with longevity and good health, and several studies support this.
Currently, yogurt is made by adding lactic bacteria to milk and warming it. The bacteria convert milk sugar (lactose) to lactic acid, which thickens the milk and gives it tart flavor.
Have you tried Greek yogurt? It’s made by fermenting milk and straining out the whey to create a product that is thicker and higher in protein. Greek yogurt holds up to heating well and is best for cooking.
I like Chobani Greek yogurt because Chobani sticks to the traditional method of straining, whereas some other companies make their yogurt “Greek” by adding starch and milk protein concentrate to thicken the product. This NPR piece explains the difference between the two methods of creating Greek yogurt.
Word Nerd Workout
What’s your favorite snack that comes from a foreign word? What’s your favorite yogurt?
I like making Overnight Oatmeal Yogurt Cups for breakfast. They are super easy:
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/3 cup oatmeal
- 2 tsp sweetener (honey, brown sugar, etc)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp chia seeds
- 1/2 cup fruit (can be frozen)
Combine yogurt through seeds in a jar; shake. Mix in fruit and top with a teaspoon of oatmeal. Let sit overnight. Can store three days in the fridge.
Whew, all this food talk is making me hungry! Thank you to Dairygoodness.ca and DownToEarth.Danone.com for valuable yogurt info.
If you like to learn about words and word origins, join in the Wondrous Words Wednesday meme with Kathy at Bermuda Onion.
Thanks for getting nerdy with me!
Julia
It’s making me hungry, too!!! (Is that correct? The comma before the “too”? I’ve read differing opinions 🙂 I’m definitely trying your recipe; looks delicious. My fave yogurt is Fage and now I’m curious about the process…isn’t yogurt strange? The description sounds kind of gross, but it’s just so good!
Do h’orduevres count as a snack? I like salted caramel yogurt from the frozen yogurt shop near us.
I am not a yogurt fan, and definitely not Greek yogurt, but don’t tell my Greek relations who make their own!
There was a commercial for Dannon yogurt in the 1980s filmed in the country of Georgia showing how people there live to be really old and ate yogurt from childhood. I bet it’s on YouTube.
I’ve got Chobani in the fridge right now, but I’ll do the grocery store brand plain yogurt and mix it with honey and fruit for a more natural sweetness 🙂 Interesting post!
Chobani is my favorite yogurt, too. It’s also the one that loses the least amount of disgusting artificial sweeteners, as researched by my husband. I say that as a disclaimer because I haven’t checked into it myself. I just say, “Okay, hon. I’ll get Chobani then, shall I?”