Natural vs. Greek vs. Skyr/Icelandic Yoghurt

Have you ever been shopping for yoghurt at the supermarket and been so overwhelmed by the variety that you couldn’t actually decide on which one to buy?

I certainly have.

I’m a massive fan of yoghurt. I think it’s delicious, nutritious, and very versatile.

But there’s so many varieties of yoghurt available these days that it’s often difficult to decide which one to go for.

There are three types of yoghurt that dominate the market:

• Natural yoghurt
• Greek yoghurt
• Icelandic yoghurt (Skyr)

(Also, is “yogurt” or “yoghurt” the correct spelling? But that’s a question for another post).

When you think about Greek yoghurt, you might think about Zeus sat atop Mount Olympus sipping the yoghurt from a vase.

But you may be surprised, and a little bit disappointed, to learn that Greek yoghurt isn’t called Greek yoghurt because it’s made in Greece. In fact, Greek yogurt has very little to do with Greece.

You may also be surprised that the apparent “newcomer” to the yogurt market, Icelandic yoghurt (or Skyr), has a history going back to over a thousand years.

Before we get any more confused, we need to look at how yoghurt is actually made.

Humans have been making yoghurt for about 5,000 years, maybe since the ancient Mesopotamians.

It may have a number of different origins, but certainly, it grew out of Asia.

Yoghurt gained popularity in the Western world in the mid-20th century.

At its most simple, yoghurt is just fermented milk.

To achieve this fermentation, milk is usually (but not always) boiled and then cooled back down to around 37 degrees.

It’s then mixed with a certain blend of bacteria known as yoghurt cultures or starter cultures which kicks off the fermentation process.

This bacteria converts the lactose in the milk into lactic acid. The lactic acid is what gives the yoghurt its distinct taste, and it’s also why people who are lactose intolerant can eat yoghurt. Lactose intolerance is a massive issue in Asia and hence probably why it’s so popular over there.

And that’s basically all there is to making yoghurt.

The fundamental process that I’ve described is the same regardless of whether you’re making natural yoghurt, Greek yoghurt, or Skyr.

The differences between yoghurts

But obviously, there are differences between the three yoghurts.

That’s because during this fundamental process, there are certain variables that can be altered, which will influence the final product.

The first variable is the milk. Which animal is it from, and what’s the fat content? Is it full fat or is it skimmed?

The second variable is whether or not it’s boiled. If you boil the milk before you ferment it, it impacts the fat molecules and results in a thicker yoghurt. Another reason you may want to consider boiling your milk is because it kills off any unwanted bacteria. Historically, this was done because most milk would be unsafe for drinking if you didn’t. But these days, most milk is pasteurised, and this step is a bit superfluous. There’s probably very little risk of unwanted bacteria in your milk if you’ve bought it from a supermarket.

The third variable is the specific blend of yoghurt cultures. There are some bacteria that are essential to yoghurt production in general, but then other yoghurts add additional bacteria to give their distinct tastes.

The fourth and final variable is whether or not it is strained and how long it is strained for. The yoghurt can be filtered through a muslin or a pudding cloth to filter out the liquids or the acidic whey, leaving behind a thicker, more consistent yoghurt. The more you strain the yoghurt, the more you sort of blur the lines between yoghurt and cheese.

In general, strained yoghurt is higher in protein and calories but contains less calcium and is generally more expensive. It’s more expensive because if you want to reduce the same volume of strained yoghurt as natural yoghurt, you require more milk.

You’re also left with a by-product – acidic whey. This stuff is really expensive to get rid of. A lot of dairy companies actually pay farmers to take it off their hands. This acidic whey is actually distinct from sweet whey, which is a by-product of cheese production and is a lot more valuable because that can be used in protein powders and the like. This acidic whey is not very nutritious, doesn’t have much protein, and it’s basically useless.

The more that you strain the yoghurt, the more concentrated it becomes, the more nutritious it becomes, but the more expensive it becomes. And that’s basically it.

I mean, if that sounds pretty straightforward, it’s because, well, it is. In fact, you can easily make yoghurt at home without needing specific bacteria. All you need is milk and, well, more yoghurt to start.

Put some milk into a pan and bring it to a boil. Then, once it’s boiled, let it cool down to around 37C. Mix in a few tablespoons of whatever yoghurt you’ve got and then leave it at that temperature for a few hours to ferment.

There are a few ways that you can keep it at that temperature. I stored mine in a coffee thermos, but you could also put the oven on a low temperature and leave it in there.

As you can see from the chart above, the only difference between the three yoghurts is a few variables. Greek yoghurt is just regular yoghurt but strained. So why on earth do we call it Greek yoghurt? A more accurate name would be just strained yoghurt, right?

But because FAGE, a Greek company, popularised the product in the United States, people started calling it Greek yoghurt, and it’s been referred to as Greek yoghurt ever since. Sorry, no, Zeus was not sipping yoghurt atop Mount Olympus.

Skyr is also just a strained yoghurt, but while most yoghurts are made from full-fat milk, skyr is made from skimmed milk and thus has a slightly different consistency. It also uses slightly different yoghurt cultures.

At any rate, the fundamental variables are the same for all three yoghurts. And as I already said, this fundamental process applies to all yoghurt-based products.

Ayran, kefir and labneh are all made in this same fundamental way.

As you can see, the only difference between, say, natural yoghurt and ayran or kefir is that they are not heated at the start and thus have a thinner consistency. And of course, the specific yoghurt cultures that are used. On the other side of the spectrum, labneh is closer to Greek yoghurt and skyr, but it’s actually strained even more, making it more like a cheese than a yoghurt.

Looking at that chart, in fact, it’s quite remarkable how variable yoghurt can be, from a runny drink to basically a solid cheese. It’s insane to me how many products have derived from just milk. And we haven’t even entered the proper world of cheese and cream and butter and milk from other animals. And, well, it’s a rabbit hole.

So that’s the difference between natural yoghurt, Greek yoghurt, and skyr.

Considering these differences, should you consume yoghurt? If yes, which type is the most nutritious choice?

Should you eat yoghurt?

Well, all yoghurt is nutritionally good as far as I can tell. Yoghurt is rich in probiotics. Probiotics are friendly bacteria which aid in digestion. And yoghurt has the benefit of being suitable for people with lactose intolerance due to that conversion to lactic acid that we already discussed. Yoghurt is also rich in iodine. And of course, just like milk, yoghurt is very rich in complete proteins.

Plus, culinarily speaking, yoghurt is very versatile. It can be used in raita, tzatziki, marinades, breakfast—the list goes on. So if protein is your main appeal nutritionally speaking, I’d say go for something like Greek yoghurt or skyr, which is higher in protein.

But plain old natural yoghurt contains more calcium, is lower in calories, which is good if you’re looking to watch your figure, and is also cheaper.

However, I believe all yoghurt variants are good sources of nutrients and protein. It’s just that the specific composition is going to depend on how it was processed.

In my opinion, yoghurt is a great addition to any diet.

One aspect where yoghurt may not be so good, however, is the environmental impact. Like I said, all yoghurt is made from milk, whether from a cow, a goat, a sheep, or even a water buffalo.

These animals share one common trait: they are ruminants. That basically means that they have different chambers in their stomachs, which enables them to digest grass. Well, what’s the problem with that? The ability to digest grass means that when they flatulate, they flatulate methane, which is a powerful greenhouse gas, around 84 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.

So while dairy products have a lower carbon footprint than, say, meat, they still have a carbon footprint that’s worth considering.

Another environmental problem arises when we consider strained yoghurts like Greek yoghurt and skyr. That acidic whey byproduct that we already talked about, it’s really hard to dispose of. Some farmers are feeding it to their animals or using it as part of their fertiliser or using it actually to produce methane to create energy. But you can’t dump this stuff in rivers or whatever because it starves the water of oxygen and thus kills the wildlife.

As I mentioned, dairy producers are literally paying farmers to dispose of it. I think there’s a serious gap in the market there.

For now, weighing, no pun intended, the pros and cons of eating yoghurt, I’ll be keeping Greek yoghurt in my diet. Whether or not you do the same is your decision to make.