MetaChat - This is a post to celebrate Greek yoghurt!

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12 February 2009

This is a post to celebrate Greek yoghurt! →[More:]
I would just like to thank whomever recommended it cos the stuff is fantastic!

Oh and this is also a shameless canvass for your favourite recipes using Greek yoghurt, too...the mister loves it too.

post by: lonefrontranger at: 20:00 | 30 comments

horray greek yoghurt! i love the damn stuff and eat it nearly everyday... and this from a woman would couldn't previous stand yoghurt!

posted by eatdonuts 12 February | 20:06

*cries*

Impossible to find here in Japan, must learn how to prepare myself.

Has anyone tried?

posted by gomichild 12 February | 20:14

Honey. Greek Yogurt. That's all.

posted by Stewriffic 12 February | 20:17

Gomichild, you'd need a starter culture, or you could try EasiYo. I've heard good reports of it. I'm sure you could find a retailer to ship to Japan.

posted by essexjan 12 February | 20:20

You gotta be kidding me. I almost made this post myself this week - meant to a couple times. How funny!

Yeah, it's amazing. Creamier, tangier, richer, and yummier than plain regular yogurt. Even the nonfat stuff!

It goes great with my MUESLI.

posted by Miko 12 February | 20:23

favourite recipes using Greek yoghurt,

Oh...tazatziki. Good with toasted pitas or cucumber slices...AWESOME on marinated grilled lamb or pork kebabs!

posted by Miko 12 February | 20:24

I like to use yoghurt in a marinade for lamb.

1/2 pint of Greek yoghurt
1/4 cup of best olive oil
salt & pepper
rosemary & oregano, chopped
The zest and juice of 2 lemons
3 or 4 cloves of garlic, crushed.

Mix it all together and marinate lamb steaks or chunks of lamb (for kebabs) in it for at least an hour, preferably three or four hours. Cook the meat over a charcoal grill.

posted by essexjan 12 February | 20:26

Labna / Labneh

Strain Greek yoghurt in muslin* just as you would a curd / cottage cheese.
You can strain it for a couple of days if you want, but overnight will do. The longer it strains, the thicker it will be.
Either use it as is, or roll into balls and preserve in a jar full of olive oil.
You can add herbs before you strain it, and some people like to add salt too.

*Or line a sieve with a chucks.

posted by GeckoDundee 12 February | 20:48

Oh awesome... Japan is about the only Asian country you CAN'T buy it.... grrrrr...

*goes to ring brother in Australia*

posted by gomichild 12 February | 20:56

Though I suppose that should be "Chux"® which, I just realized, might be an Aussie brand.
The cloth things that look like muslin, except green. That you wipe up spills with. That stuff.

posted by GeckoDundee 12 February | 20:58

REAL Greek yogurt though, there are a bunch of faker Greek yogurts out here [Cabot, I am looking in your direction....) that have regular amounts of fat and whatnot and are not the super awesome Greek yogurt that I had for lunch today (with flaxseed and maple syrup and toasted walnuts)

posted by jessamyn 12 February | 21:11

Last night I ate greek yoghurt on top of falafel that I made with my sister. It was a good combination!

posted by rmless2 12 February | 22:13

What, like you can use it for things that aren't tzatziki?

Why would you do that?

posted by pompomtom 12 February | 22:40

What about Stonyfield? They have Oikos organic greek yogurt in the frou frou section of the grocery store. I made an awesome batch with it. Tasted sooo yummy. I mixed it with chocolate pudding to make chocolate yogurt for Older Boy (don't hurt me, please) I can't seem to get a good strawberry flavor in there for Younger Boy.

I just eat it plain. That's good enough for me.

posted by lysdexic 12 February | 22:57

gomichild, I understand that there are a lot of Iranians in Japan.

The Greek-style yoghurt is actually common throughout the Middle East -- Arabs, Turks, etc. all have some variation on this.

Are there any shops that might cater to the needs of this community? Maybe they might carry some kind of yogurt.

posted by jason's_planet 12 February | 23:03

Basic recipe: scald a quart of milk, and let it cool to about 95-100F. Mix about six ounces of the starter yogurt in, and put it in a warm spot away from drafts. I do this overnight, and I'll have something soupy in the morning, more firm in the evening.

You don't use any metal except maybe to mix up the yogurt and milk. Otherwise use plastic or ceramic.

I have a plastic bowl with lid that takes about a half gallon. I put it in my oven with an ambient temp of about 100F

posted by lysdexic 12 February | 23:17

Good thinking jason's planet - except no there doesn't seem to be. Not in my area anyway.

posted by gomichild 12 February | 23:23

*Or line a sieve with a chucks.

I'm guessing that's something like what we'd call "cheesecloth"?

posted by Miko 13 February | 00:30

Good thinking jason's planet - except no there doesn't seem to be. Not in my area anyway.

What about Indian grocers? If Jackson Heights is any guide, they would have at least basic yogurt that you could strain to create Greek-style yogurt.

posted by jason's_planet 13 February | 00:35

AHAHAHAHHAA we have one dodgy Indian place here... so no.

Pretty much only the basics and Japanese groceries here.

Japanese yoghurt is very thin and runny unfortunately.

posted by gomichild 13 February | 00:49

I'm guessing that's something like what we'd call "cheesecloth"?
It seems "muslin" as I used it above means "cheesecloth" in the States ("muslin" in the US meaning what gets called "calico" in the UK). But Chux is a cleaning cloth made of open weave cotton which works just as well. (Except they have adopted that horrible habit of adding disinfectant to their newer ranges - yuck!).

posted by GeckoDundee 13 February | 01:06

Japanese yoghurt is very thin and runny unfortunately.

Well, if that's all you have to work with, it's not a hopeless cause. You can still drain it in cheesecloth and have something like Greek yogurt. It's messy and not very convenient but it does work.

posted by jason's_planet 13 February | 03:05

Get your Bro to send you an EasiYo set from Oz, which would be the biggest expense, although still not too bad as it's not that heavy. Then it's a simple thing for him to send, er, sachets of white powder through the mail at regular intervals. I hope.

posted by essexjan 13 February | 04:18

You can drain yogurt overnight through a few paper towels as well. It's easy and it works.

I have heard so many good things about Greek yogurt. I have not tried it yet because our grocery stores do not have it. I need to go to our big health food store. We do have Stonyfield. I need to take a harder look in the organic dairy section.

I am in love with Dannon fat free plain yogurt. The fat-free plain tastes better than the low-fat or full-fat. I mix it with fresh or frozen fruit, or canned pineapple chunks. I have it almost every day. I'm betting I'll love Greek yogurt even more.

posted by LoriFLA 13 February | 08:01

ha ha! I just gave my dog some Greek yogurt. :)

posted by taz 13 February | 08:55

"muslin" in the US meaning what gets called "calico" in the UK

Huh, that's interesting - Never heard this one. A similar word displacement to what happens with cookies, chips, crisps. In the US calico specifically means a cotton fabric, generally stiffer than muslin, with a tiny allover print. It's what all Laura Ingalls' dresses were made of. Neat.

posted by Miko 13 February | 09:05

or line a sieve with a chucks

I'm guessing that's something like what we'd call "cheesecloth"?

Good to know. I was trying to figure out what basketball shoes had to do with straining yoghurt.

Off to get coffee, as obviously I'm not awake yet.

posted by toastedbeagle 13 February | 09:55

Greek yogurt is great! Eating whole milk greek yogurt is like eating cream cheese straight out of the package. Mmm mmm.

posted by halonine 13 February | 11:09

OPA!

posted by rainbaby 13 February | 13:04

"muslin" in the US meaning what gets called "calico" in the UK

How nice for me that I noticed this comment earlier, because just last night a book I was reading referenced ladies' Victorian undergarments made of "calico" - which would have been a weird visual image if I hadn't known.

posted by taz 15 February | 04:43

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