Traditionally, yogurt from Greece can be made with sheep's or cow's milk. Usually, the Greek yogurt people buy at the grocery store is made from cow's milk. The biggest difference between Greek yogurt and other yogurts is that Greek yogurt is strained, removing the whey and creating a creamier, thicker texture.
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.
Greek yogurt isn't a location-dependent product. It's not even really Greek. What Americans know as Greek yogurt is a yogurt with most of the whey strained out, making it thicker. In Greece, it's called straggisto (which simply translates to strained yogurt).
Why is selection and taste of American yogurt so awful compared to what's sold in Europe? Yogurt in the US typically has less fat, and have sugar added in some form. That makes the yogurt less creamy and satisfying and more watery and chunky.
As you might suspect, Greeks don't actually call it 'Greek yoghurt', they call it straggisto, which just means strained.
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.
It's an old yogurt, a nutritious and delicious yogurt, an insanely popular yogurt, and not even Greek at all! 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.
If you're asking yourself, "What is Australian style yogurt?", don't worry, I did the same. According to Noosa's website, Australian yogurt is Greek-style yogurt that's sweetened with honey, giving it a "sweet tart tang" and "velvety texture."
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.
In Greece, there is a strained fermented dairy product called “straggisto” which is fairly similar to what is branded as Greek yogurt here.
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.
Whole grain breakfast cereal, Greek yogurt, and 100% whole wheat bread have more in common than being part of a “balanced breakfast”—they can all be classified as “ultra-processed” foods.
Ulukaya said the name Chobani comes from the Greek word chopani, which means shepherd in multiple countries near where he grew up. “Shepherd is a very pure word,” he said. Ulukaya associates the word with the term “shepherd's gift,” which means a gift given without expecting anything in return, he said.
True Greek yogurt traditionally involves an expensive straining process which filters out excess water concentrating the yogurt which makes it thicker, more tart and higher in protein than traditional yogurt.
Chobani produces all of its Greek yogurt with milk from conventionally raised cows.
Australian yogurt, though, has a longer culture and cooking process, which gives it a much thicker, creamier consistency compared to regular yogurt (via Wallaby).
Which countries consume the most yogurt? France, followed by Turkey. 57 percent of French citizens eat yogurt each day, with Turkey close behind at 52 percent. In general, Europeans consume about 40 pounds per year, mostly in the afternoon and evening.
Unlike Greek or Icelandic yogurt, noosa is not strained, so in that way it's similar to a traditional yogurt. But since it's made with whole milk, you get that "velvety, creamy texture" -- one that noosa improves on by infusing with honey.
Greek yogurt is made by straining out the extra whey in regular yogurt, which makes the yogurt thicker, creamier and tangier than regular yogurt. While plain Greek yogurt has less sugar and more protein than regular yogurt, the latter delivers almost twice the bone-strengthening mineral calcium.
“Strained Greek yogurt is lower in sugar than regular yogurt. Removing the whey produces a thicker, creamier yogurt with a tart taste.”
Old-fashioned Greek yogurt is made with goat's milk while American yogurt, and many of the American-made “Greek-style” products, are made from cow's milk. (“Greek-style” yogurts may also contain thickening agents like condensed milk or gelatin.) All yogurt starts out the same, with milk and live cultures.