Fage, a company that started in Athens, Greece, was the first to put “Greek” on yogurt labels as a way to describe the product. However, Chobani, a company started in the United States by a man from Turkey, popularized the practice.
While many eat it as a breakfast meal, in Greece, yoghurt is used in many recipes, including tzatziki and as a dessert, topped with honey and nuts or spoon sweets.
Many Greek dishes are inherited from Ottoman cuisine, which combined influences from Persian, Levantine-Arabic, Turkish and Byzantine cuisines: phyllo, tzatziki, yuvarlakia, eggplant papoutsaki, boureki, meze, dolma, pita bread, papoutsakia, baklava, kadaifi, halva, loukoumi, and more.
The origins of yogurt are unknown, but it was probably invented by Neolithic people in Central Asia and Mesopotamia around 5000 BC, when the first milk-producing animals were domesticated.
She learned that for many decades, Turks had made yogurt as a way to preserve milk before refrigeration was readily available. “So many Turkish ingredients that we think of as ways to add flavor were traditionally ways to preserve seasonal foods,” says Eckhardt. “And so it is with milk.
Fage, a company that started in Athens, Greece, was the first to put “Greek” on yogurt labels as a way to describe the product. However, Chobani, a company started in the United States by a man from Turkey, popularized the practice.
Yogurt, which is made by fermenting milk, is one of the oldest foods in the human diet. Yogurt has its origins in Turkey.
Chobani is an American food company specializing in strained yogurt. The company was founded in 2005 by Hamdi Ulukaya, a Turkish Kurd businessman. Chobani sells thick, Greek yogurt with a higher protein content than traditional yogurt and is one of the main companies to popularize this style of yogurt in the US.
Tzatziki is Greek, no other country can claim the most famous Greek food in the world (it's a few centuries older than Greek Mousaka)!!! The Ottoman Empire, ruled over Greece from the 16th century until World War 1.
“Chobani” is Turkish for “shepherd.” Ulukaya immigrated to America in 1994 to attend school. Just over a decade later, he decided to start his yogurt business in a region of the country that had dominated the industry since the 1800's.
"The vast majority are Greeks by DNA or partially Greek." "That means that there is a proportion in the DNA of the Turks with 60% Greek, 90% Greek, proportions like that.
By the end of 1922, the vast majority of native Pontian Greeks had fled Turkey due to the genocide against them (1914–1922), and the Ionian Greek Ottoman citizens had also fled due to the defeat of the Greek army in the later Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922), which had led to reprisal killings.
Souvlaki (Greek: σουβλάκι, souvláki, [suˈvlaci]; plural: σουβλάκια, souvlákia), is a popular Greek fast food consisting of small pieces of meat and sometimes vegetables grilled on a skewer. It is usually eaten straight off the skewer while still hot.
Traditional Greek yogurt is made of pure sheep's milk strained in a muslin cloth bag to remove the whey (the liquid byproduct). This process gives it a much thicker, creamier consistency compared to natural, unstrained yogurt, and a much richer, tangier taste.
All yoghurt contains live bacterial cultures, which ferment milk to make yoghurt, but only some types of yoghurt have added probiotics (bacteria that have a proven health benefit).
Ultimately, traditional Greek food is both healthy and flavorful. On top of that, it's rich in antioxidants, fiber, healthy fats, and vitamins. By incorporating Greek staple ingredients like vegetables, herbs, olive oil, and lean meats in your diet, you will provide your body with a full nutritious balance.
Tzatziki (Greek: τζατζίκι), also known as cacık (Turkish pronunciation: [dʒaˈdʒɯk]) or tarator, is a class of dip, soup, or sauce found in the cuisines of Southeastern Europe and the Middle East.
One thing is sure, these two countries, situated side by side in the Mediterranean sea, have both been heavily influenced by their Mediterranean culture, which comes out in their culinary processes. They share a similar climate, the prosperous Mediterranean sun, and many of the same landscapes.
Greeks eat pork, Turks don't. Turkish versions of the dishes that exists in both cuisines are more spicy.
Records of yogurt in Greece begin in the 5th century BCE with the writings of Herodotus, but in reality, the process of straining yogurt (making it “Greek”) began somewhere in the Middle East.
Lebne is made by placing yogurt in a fine strainer or cheesecloth for a while so that all the whey runs out. The texture you get is like that of cream cheese, and this is often mistaken to be a curd cheese – though it is actually made from yogurt. The straining process gives you what is commonly called Greek yogurt.
Kefir comes from the Turkish word 'keyif,' which means “good feeling.” While it has been around for thousands of years, kefir has recently gained attention from the health food scene for its health benefits.
Everyone seems to have their favorite kind of Anatolian yogurt, with some Turkish people preferring buffalo milk yogurt because of its rich content of fat, it's thick texture, and the flavorful kaymak present on the top of the mixture.
Bulgarian yogurt – the best yogurt in the world!
The famous fact is that the bacterium which causes milk to naturally turn into yogurt was discovered by a Bulgarian scientist. Bulgarian yogurt comes under the general category of yogurts which contain live bacteria.
The history of inventions in Turkey goes from Turkish coffee, Turkish baths, military marching bands, vaccinations to the world's first Christian church and the famous Lion's milk: rakı.