Even when fat free, Greek yogurt is still intensely creamy and rich. Photography by Hannah Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.
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KAREN HOCHMAN is Editorial Director of THE NIBBLE.
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June 2009
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Oikos Yogurt
Organic Greek Yogurt (It’s Kosher, Too)
Page 1: Overview
CAPSULE REPORT: Called “yiaourti” in Greece, Greek yogurt is thicker and creamier than regular yogurt due to a centuries-old straining process that removes the whey (liquid) from the yogurt. Before the era of mechanical refrigeration, the Greeks knew that yogurt stayed fresh longer with the liquid strained off. Today, there are numerous other reasons to enjoy Greek yogurt, as you’ll read in the article below. The Oikos line has 0% fat, is certified organic and kosher and is available in Plain plus Blueberry, Honey, Strawberry and Vanilla. Check on the website for coupons and recipes. This is Page 1 of a two-page review. Click on the black links below to visit Page 2.
Overview
When you’re Gary Hirshberg, founder and CEO of Stonyfield Yogurt, the daily choice of yogurt is pretty vast. So who’d have guessed, after looking at the Stonyfield Yogurt empire, that his favorite treat as a boy was authentic Greek yogurt, made by his next door neighbors? Last year, he launched his own brand of Greek yogurt, under the Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt label. Oikos is the Greek word for house, and also the root of the word for ecology, which is fundamental to the organic, environment-supportive Stonyfield brand.
What Is Greek Yogurt
Greek-style yogurt is strained yogurt; it’s so thick because the yogurt is triple-strained through a paper or cloth filter, draining off the water and whey. No gelatin or pectin is used to thicken it (as are often employed to thicken brand yogurt —check the label). Greek yogurt is more expensive because there’s less water and more milk solids—and thus more protein.
Greek yogurt is thicker, richer and creamier than European-style yogurt. It has other benefits, too:
- You can cook with it, because it’s less likely to curdle when heated.
- It has twice the protein of regular yogurt, fewer carbs and is lower in lactose.
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White as snow: Oikos plain yogurt. |
- Greek yogurt is also especially creamy; whole-milk Greek yogurt made with cow’s milk contains 9% milkfat, as compared to traditional American yogurts, which have around 3.5% milkfat.
- Organic products are also greener—better for the earth.*
*Organic certification means no antibiotics or growth hormones used on animals, animals must be raised on organic feed and have free range to graze, crops must be raised with no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers containing synthetic chemicals, no sewage-sludge fertilizer, no bio-engineered foods or irradiation, and no GMOs (genetically modified organisms). Farming practices should enhance and preserve soil and water.
Continue To Page 2: Oikos Yogurt Flavors
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