Greek Yogurt-tell me about it
Top of my list of foodie things to do in 2008 (hopefully January, 2008) is to try Greek yogurt. I've been seeing the name pop up in different places and was wondering just what is so good (or bad) about it. What brand should I go for? Is it good to eat with other foods, like regular yogurt or cottage cheese is with fruits and granolas?
I'd appreciate any words of wisdom!
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12 Comments:
Greek yogurt is really creamy. Try making tzatziki, it's a real treat on hot summer days. Trader Joe's has a nice variety of Greek yogurts.
LearP at 12:51AM on 01/07/08
I think the main thing that makes greek yogurt different from what you're probably used to is that the stuff in the dairy case of your megamart is almost always nonfat, while in comparison, full-fat greek yogurt is practically pudding. Greek yogurt is also strained, so it's thicker than regular yogurt. It's the base for tzatziki, the sauce you have in gyros, with spices and cucumbers. It's also served for dessert with a drizzle of good honey.
DaveFaris at 2:51AM on 01/07/08
Fage 2% is my favorite. I like it so much that I can eat it plain, but also eat it along with any fruit or crunchy granola type cereal.
JEP at 5:23AM on 01/07/08
Greek yogurt, because it is strained, is very thick with an almost pannacotta-like consistency. It thins and breaks down a bit when you mix it with other ingredients (to make tzatziki, for instance). I like it best for dessert with fresh figs, a drizzle of good honey and a sprinkling of chopped nuts. Just scoop some out (don't mix it!). Yum.
You can also get low-fat and fat-free versions which are suprisingly good and which beat other low-fat yogurts all to hell.
Ann Fisher at 7:10AM on 01/07/08
Funny you asked this - about 3 weeks ago, just before Christmas, I decided to "splurge" on a small carton (lunchbox sized) of Fage yogurt. I too had heard the glowing comments and got curious. So I bought the kind that has a side of thick strawberry jam to go with it. Well, I gotta tell ya....bliss. Even though I had to choke back some sanity when I read the nutrition label (12 grams of fat in the entire thing) I ATE the entire thing.
You'll be swooning....but do look for the 2% if you have dietary (ahem) issues.
moibec at 8:12AM on 01/07/08
The Trader Joe brand is not bad either. There is also a nice little shop on Sullivan (next door to Grandaisy Bakery) The Yoghurt Place II, which I highly recommend. Not being much of an ice cream person myself, I'd take full fat yogurt over ice cream any day. And you can have it for breakfast,snack and dinner!
pickle at 9:59AM on 01/07/08
The difference for me is that strained yogurt is much less, bitter?...sour?, than regular. I strain my own sometimes, and the difference in taste must be the whey that is removed.
Greek yogurt or strained fat free generic is like heaven compared to the rest! Once you try it you will never go back!
sparkalina at 10:45AM on 01/07/08
I had tried every brand of yogurt looking for "nirvana." Yogurt's tang and gelatinous consistency really turned me off. I found one - Horizon - but then read the container. It was their full-fat version. No WONDER I liked it.
I purchased my first cup of Fage about a year ago. I did it mostly with the intention of dumping Fage onto the pile of failed yogurts. I really doomed this effort by purchasing the 0% version.
I put a spoonful in my mouth.
I picked up the cup to make sure I had the right stuff.
I was in love.
I could not believe something this creamy and luxurious in the mouth could be a) yogurt, b) fat free!!
The almost firm texture and creaminess really lend themselves to use in recipes. Tzatziki has not been the same since trying it with Fage. No draining necessary (like with American yogurt).
Over the weekend, someone brought a bottle of ranch dressing to our football gathering and we really wanted a dip. I folded in 2 cups of Fage - voila...dip. (It tasted better too.)
I don't buy the large container because I don't have the discipline to stop eating it. I buy the small cups (unless I'm using it in a recipe.)
chiff0nade at 10:50AM on 01/07/08
You know, the brand that I like isn't available here in the states, but I love (and I mean adore) swirling it into soups, like carrot and corainder soup, as well as pumpkin soup. Heat up the soup until it's literally piping hot, and then swirl in a good-sized dollop of the yoghurt and there you have it!
Also, I use it for Greek and Med-style dips, like tzatziki. it's just good stuff. And if you need an idea for breakast, try a small bowl of it, topped with sliced bananas and honey. That's one of my favorites weekend, easy-to-make treats!
Traveller at 12:11PM on 01/07/08
Don't be scared of full fat yogurts if you're watching your weight! If you just eat half a cup, you won't be getting too many more calories than you would in a half cup of low fat yogurt, and you'll be much more satisfied--i.e. you won't be hungry again in an hour and end up eating 100 more calories anyway.
Now, if you're watching your fat intake, that might be a different matter, but I'm afraid I don't know.
Robin Bellinger at 12:36PM on 01/07/08
Fage yogurt (as you've already read) is really really popular when it comes to Greek yogurt. We wrote an article with ideas for what to do with Fage yogurt so perhaps it will help you when you try it out for the first time.
While I LOVE tzatziki, I find greek yogurt to be a bit more sour and therefore less justifiable for a dessert, but that's just my personal opinion.
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 5:32PM on 01/07/08
+1, definitely go for the Fage TOTAL Greek yoghurt. Make sure it's the imported variety. This is a well known Greek yoghurt sold in Europe (including Greece itself).
Try the full fat version, it's a tad thick but exceptionally creamy - try it with honey and roasted almonds! The 2% and 0% just aren't the same, they have the same slight tang to them, but are more "watery" in flavoUr.
You can eat it with what you like. You can use it in your cakes, as a filling, or in the mix itself, with fruit/granola, to make tzatziki (as mentioned above), the list is immense.
ssnmr77 at 7:01PM on 01/31/08