Ingredient: Yoghurt
Category: Dairy
Season: All
Yoghurt or yogurt, less commonly yoghourt or yogourt is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk.
Fermentation of the milk sugar (lactose) produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give yoghurt its texture and its characteristic tang.
Soy yogurt, a dairy-yogurt alternative, is made from soy milk.
Yoghurt has nutritional benefits beyond those of milk, people who are moderately lactose-intolerant can enjoy yoghurt without ill effects, because the lactose in the milk precursor is converted to lactic acid by the bacterial culture.
The reduction of lactose bypasses the affected individuals' need to process the milk sugar themselves
Varieties:
Strained yoghurts
These, include Greek Yoghurt, Dahi and Bulgarian Yoghurt are types of yoghurt which are strained through a cloth or paper filter, traditionally made of muslin, to remove the whey, giving a much thicker consistency, and a distinctive, slightly tangy, taste.
Some types are boiled in open vats first, so that the liquid content is reduced.
The popular East Indian dessert, Mishti Dahi, is a variation of traditional Dahi, offers a thicker, more custard-like consistency, and is usually sweeter than western yoghurts.
Dadiah, sold in Bukittinggi Market.Dadiah, or Dadih, is a traditional West Sumatran yoghurt made from water buffalo milk. It is fermented in bamboo tubes.
Labneh yoghurt
Labneh yoghurt, of Lebanon is a thickened yoghurt used for sandwiches. Olive oil, cucumber slices, olives, and various green herbs may be added.
It can be thickened further and rolled into balls, preserved in olive oil, and fermented for a few more weeks.
It is sometimes used with onions, meat, and nuts as a stuffing for a variety of Lebanese pies or Kebbeh balls.
Tarator (or cacık)
Tarat, is a popular cold soup made from yoghurt, popular during summertime in Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Turkey.
It is made with Ayran, cucumbers, dill, salt, olive oil, and optionally garlic and ground walnuts in Bulgaria, and generally without walnuts in Turkey.
Rahmjoghurt
Rahmjoghurt is a creamy yoghurt with much higher milkfat content (10%) than most yoghurts offered in English-speaking countries, is available in Germany and other countries.
Caspian sea yoghurt
Caspian Sea Yoghurt is believed to have been introduced into Japan in 1986, by researchers returning from a trip to the Caucasus region in Georgia.
This variety, called Matsoni, is started with Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris and Acetobacter orientalis species and has a unique, viscous, honey-like texture.
It is milder in taste than other varieties of yoghurts.
Ideally, Caspian Sea yoghurt is made at home, because it requires no special equipment nor unobtainable culture.
It can be made at room temperature (20–30 C) in 10 to 15 hours.
In Japan, freeze-dried starter cultures are sold in department stores and online, although many people obtain starter cultures from friends.
Jameed
Is yoghurt which is salted and dried to preserve it. It is popular in Palestine and Jordan.
Drinks:
Bihidasu: a Japanese edible brand of Ayran.Ayran is a yoghurt-based, salty drink popular in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It is made by mixing yoghurt with water and adding salt.
The same drink is known as tan in Armenia, "Laban Ayran" in Syria, "Shenina" in Jordan, "Moru" in South India, and "Laban Arbil" in Iraq.
A similar drink, doogh, is popular in the Middle East between Lebanon and Afghanistan; it differs from ayran by the addition of herbs, usually mint, and is carbonated, usually with seltzer water.
In the United States, yoghurt-based beverages are often marketed under names like: "yoghurt smoothie" or "drinkable yoghurt".
They are also popular in Ecuador, where the primary form of yoghurt is "bebida de yogurt", which literally means drink of yoghurt.
Lassi. is a yogurt-based beverage originally from the Indian subcontinent that is usually slightly salty or sweet. Much like a smoothie, the sweet version is typically flavoured with coconut, rosewater, lemon, mango or other fruit juice.
Salty lassi is usually flavoured with ground, roasted cumin and chili peppers.
Yop, is a fruity French yoghurt coming from the Yoplait Dairy Company, is popular in France, Canada and the UK.
Kefir, is a fermented milk drink originating in the Caucasus. A related Central Asian Turco-Mongolian drink made from mare's milk is called kumis, or airag in Mongolia.
Some American dairies have offered a drink called "kefir" for many years with fruit flavours, but without carbonation or alcohol. As of 2002, names like "drinkable yoghurt" and "yoghurt smoothie" have been introduced.
Homemade:
A yoghurt-making kit, with container, thermos, and thermometer.
Yoghurt is customarily made in domestic environments in regions, where yoghurt has an important place in traditional cuisine.
It can be made from a small amount of store-bought, plain, live culture yoghurt by adding milk and heating at a constant, but not boiling, temperature.
Special yoghurt-making machines assist in small-batch yoghurt-making.
In 2005, Mireille Guiliano released her best selling book, French Women Don’t Get Fat, in which she touts yogurt as her secret weight loss weapon. In her novel, she campaigned for Americans to discover the benefits and pleasures of homemade plain, non-fat yogurt, as opposed to the sugar and corn syrup-laden ‘imposters’ found in most U.S. supermarkets. Her book was the first contemporary weight loss plan to center around making homemade yogurt.
In English, there are several variations of the spelling of the word.
In the United States, yogurt is the usual spelling and yoghurt a minor variant.
In the United Kingdom, yoghurt and yogurt are both current, yoghurt being more common, and yoghourt is an uncommon alternative.
In Canada, mostly yogurt and yogourt;
in Australia and New Zealand yoghurt prevails |