Greek Gods Redux

I was tempted by the Greek Gods yogurt after Suzanne's review, and I saw that they had a honey yogurt. I mistakenly assumed it was a honey yogurt in the style of Nancy's Honey yogurt, which is a favorite in our house (and the subject of my next post). It is, however, just a honey flavored Greek yogurt. Well, I thought it was delicious! It has a delicate flavor and a thick, creamy texture, almost like pudding or flan. I am not a yogurt afficionado -- I'm perfectly happy with Yoplait -- so I haven't had too many fancy yogurts. What this reminded me of more than anything was one of the strained yogurts I've had at various Middle Eastern restaurants. It's approximately the same consistency of the Lebanese yogurt dish labneh. I would absolutely buy this one again, and I may have to if my husband eats the rest of it. Incidentally, I think it might make an excellent smoothie with a banana and a scoop of peanut butter.

Feeling Sheepish

The first time I tried Old Chatham Sheepherding Company's Sheep's Milk Yogurt, I bought a container of plain. I ate it without adding jam, which I usually do to plain yogurt to get a hint of sweetness, but I wanted to see how sheep's milk yogurt tasted plain. I liked its intense tanginess, but thought I should try one with flavor. My friend Sara M. recommended the ginger flavor, so for $2.79, I scooped one up at my local grocery store in the cheese section.

Keep in mind that I don't particularly like ginger, so this was potentially a stupid and costly yogurt decision. Yet I enjoyed the ginger even more than the plain. The chunks of ginger were not overwhelming, and the contrast between the ginger and the sour yogurt made every spoonful heavenly.

When I indulge in another sheep's milk yogurt, I think I will mix in some berry jam or even crack open a jar of fig jam that I bought a few weeks ago and have not gotten around to you. Very nice.

St. Benoit

St. Benoit home page

I bought this yogurt primarily because I wanted to contribute to this blog. Also, it came in a cool ceramic container. It is described as an "artisinal, French-style yogurt made in small batches." The container is supposed to be one serving, but with 9 grams of fat, I decided to call it two servings and round out my mid-morning snack with some fruit.

There were three varieties on the shelf (the others were plain and strawberry), and I bought the Meyer lemon. It has a medium-thick, slighty grainly texture and is not as sweet as I initially expected. It isn't overly tart, though, and tastes strongly of Meyer lemons, which are sweeter and less acidic than regular lemons.

Overall, I would say I enjoyed this yogurt, but at over $2.50 for one serving and with the high fat and calorie content, I will probably not be purchasing it again. I will, however, find a use for the cool container!

Props to Fage on "The Biggest Loser"

In the most exciting moment on TV these days, Rocco diSpirito just commended Fage non-fat yogurt as a prime ingredient for homemade ice cream! Given how much I love plain, fat free Fage with mere jam added, I bet it makes a lusciously creamy ice cream. Now if only I had an ice cream maker!

C'est Bon for Real

Yoplait's slogan is, "C'est bon!" However, I am of the opinion that Yoplait is shitty yogurt. Not the nastiest yogurt on the planet by any means (see: whatever the Dannon fat free, sugar free stuff is), but not very good. I'll eat if I have to, but way prefer other mass market products, like Stonyfield Farms. (Although I prefer my yogurt without small pieces of glass in it - my friend told me that all Blueberry Stonyfield Farm yogurts were recalled because they may have shards of glass in them.)

This brings me to Liberté Yogurt. For 99 cents, I secured a 6 oz. carton of Six Grains Yogurt with pear. It is low fat, with no sugar added, has no aspertame, and is rBGH free. The taste is superb. I think the six grains (barley, oat, rye, wheat, rice, and buckwheat) add an excellent chewy kick, and are better than granola. The chunks of pears were large and sweet.

On the downside, the yogurt is not very thick. I'm not expecting Greek-style thickness, but I think even Stonyfield is thicker. It's not liquidy, but anyone looking for a thick yogurt might be disappointed. It also has a little less calcium (25% RDA) than some other brands.

Still, I will definitely buy this yogurt again (and again). It also comes in strawberry, raspberry, and peach. How do you say "yum" in French?

Not Baad (The Yogurt, Not the Pun)

While visiting my friend Mara in London this past weekend, she gave me some sheep milk yogurt to try. I'm not sure what the brand name is (I think it literally said, "Sheep's-Milk Yogurt" on the container), but it retailed for 2.49 pounds for a pint size carton. If it didn't cost me $600 in airfare to get it, I would buy this yogurt all the time. It was super thick (as thick as Greek yogurt), rich, and creamy. I didn't add any sugar or jam, and I savored each spoonful. Delicious.

Back at home, I finally broke out the sheep milk yogurt I bought about two weeks ago. My friend Sara, who does not like yogurt, highly recommended that I indulge in Old Chatham Sheepherding Company Sheep's Milk Yogurt. At $2.49 for a six ounce carton, it is cheaper than flying to London, but only slightly. I purchased the plain flavor, but it also comes in Maple and Ginger.

Upon opening the lid, I noticed that the white yogurt was a little lumpy. I re-checked the expiration date. It said 041108, which I interpreted to mean April 11, 2008, so I stirred it up and dug in. Old Chatham is not nearly as thick as whatever I ate in London, and it is about 1,000 times tangier. I couldn't help but pucker.

I was worried that the yogurt had soured, so I called the company. I explained to the woman who answered that I had never really eaten sheep milk yogurt before, and I was curious if it was supposed to be sour or if I waited too long before eating it. She explained that it is a tangy yogurt that is an acquired taste, and verified that what I thought was the expiration date was, in fact, the expiration date. She also laughed and told me that she has worked at the company for six years, but only recently started eating the Maple yogurt. "Try that one," she advised me.

Once I was sure I would not get food poisoning from the yogurt, I began to really enjoy it. It's a very yogurt-y yogurt, and has a fabulous undertaste to it that I've never experienced before and can't really describe. Maybe like lemon? I don't know, but it is good. For $2.49, I probably will only eat this yogurt for a special treat, and I can't wait for the right occasion.

Greek Gods Plain Nonfat Yogurt

If you are going to name a yogurt after Poseidon, as The Greek Gods brand did for their nonfat plain yogurt, it better be really good. The last thing you want is a tidal wave or band of angry crabs unleashed upon your yogurt factory. Fortunately, I can attest to the excellence of Greek Gods nonfat plain yogurt.

The yogurt is appropriately think and smooth. It has some of the sourness of plain yogurt, but not too much. I could have eaten it plain, but chose to increase my calorie intake by adding teaspoon of jam to it. I thoroughly enjoyed every spoonful of the 6 oz. cup. The yogurt cost me $1.59 at Whole Foods, so it was not cheap, but significantly less expensive per ounce than siggi's, and also cheaper than Fage.

There are other yogurts that give you more slightly calcium, but I thought that 25% of the RDA is a very good amount. At only 60 calories and no fat, this is a great yogurt choice, especially for those looking for a thick and only moderately sour way to get some calcium. I think I might like Fage a bit more, but for the price, Greek Gods does very well. Poseidon should be proud.