Yogurt Comes of Age
It wasn't I until I lived in Paris that I became enlightened as to the ways of yogurt. I was a student in college at the time, and the family I lived with kept a yogurt maker on the kitchen counter. Yogurt, mixed at the table with a little sugar, was our dessert at almost every evening meal.
In Parisian grocery stores, the yogurt section was enormous, and I became a big fan of creamy French yogurt. This creamy, "European-style" yogurt eventually came to the U.S. and over many years, the yogurt aisle in Seattle has seen some exciting additions. I was thrilled to discover the full-fat, non-homogenized Brown Cow yogurt with its luscious layer of cream at the top. Then I tried thick Fage Greek yogurt, and we eat so much now I buy four tubs at a time, thought I've switched to the more affordable Trader Joe's brand.
I like Port Madison's goat milk yogurt that I find at my local farmers market, and I've tasted water buffalo milk yogurt from Bufala di Vermont at the Union Square Greenmarket in New York. But I'd never tried the Icelandic yogurt skyr, so when I saw Siggi's yogurt on sale at my local grocery store, I decided to give it a go. I'm a sucker for great graphics, and Siggi's simple packaging is an eye-catcher.
Skyr is a strained yogurt with a distinctive tang, and though Siggi's is made with non-fat milk, it has a richer, thicker consistency than you might expect. Though I tend to prefer plain, unsweetened yogurt, I was intrigued by Siggi's unusual flavor combinations like orange & ginger and pomegranate & passion fruit, sweetened by the way, with agave nectar. And I'm anxious to try it's newest flavors, vanilla, acai and grapefruit, but at $2.99 for a 6-oz. cup, I'll have to wait until Siggi's is back on sale.
There are so many new yogurts available from small dairies around the country now, why not give your favorite a shout out and share it with us.
--Tracy Schneider
marco on November 04, 2009 at 11:28 AM
We usually buy Plain Mountain High Yoghurt http://fresh.amazon.com/product?asin=B000R4CJA8 and mix it with our own fruit/apple sauce/jam.
Sometimes (=when they are on sale), we get Safeway's O Organics Yogurts.