Strained yogurt

{{Short description|Yogurt thickened by draining whey}} {{Redirect|Greek yogurt|the use of strained yogurt in Greece|Strained yogurt#Southeastern Europe}} {{Use American English|date=January 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}} {{Infobox food | name = Strained yogurt | image = Labneh01.jpg | image_size = 250px | caption = Strained yogurt with olive oil | alternate_name = Greek yogurt, chak(k)a, labneh, suzma, yogurt cheese | region = Levant, West, South, and Central Asia; Middle East, Caucasus, Southeastern Europe, Eastern Europe | creator = | course = | type = Fermented dairy product | served = cold | main_ingredient = Yogurt | variations = | calories = 133 | serving_size = 100g | calories_ref = <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/greek-yogurt-healthy|title=Top 10 health benefits of Greek yogurt|website=BBC Good Food|access-date=13 October 2023}}</ref> | other = }} '''Strained yogurt''', '''Greek''' or '''Greek-style yogurt''',<ref name="Davidson 2014">{{cite book |title= The Oxford Companion to Food |last= Davidson |first= Alan |year= 2014 |publisher= Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-104072-6 |quote= Sheep's or goat's milk yoghurt, or strained yogurt often called 'Greek', are more stable than plain yoghurt. |page=239 }}</ref> '''yogurt cheese''', '''sack yogurt''', '''hung curd,''' '''kerned yogurt''' or '''labneh''' is yogurt that has been strained to remove most of its whey, resulting in a thicker consistency than normal unstrained yogurt, while still preserving the distinctive sour taste of yogurt. Strained yogurt is made from milk, with the intermediate product being classic yogurt, but it is concentrated by straining liquid off with cheese cloth or similar technique. In Europe and North America, it is often made from low-fat or fat-free cow's milk. In Iceland a similar product named skyr is made.<ref name=":0" />

Strained yogurt is usually marketed in North America as "Greek yogurt" and in the United Kingdom as "Greek-style yoghurt",<ref>In Britain the name "Greek" may only be applied to yogurt made in Greece. {{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25954228 |title='Greek' yoghurt Chobani firm loses legal battle |work=BBC News |date=29 January 2014 |access-date=17 August 2025}}</ref> though strained yogurt is also widely eaten in Levantine, Eastern Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Central Asian, South Asian, and Eastern European cuisines, where it is often used in cooking, as it curdles less readily when cooked. It is used in a variety of dishes, cooked or not, savory or sweet. Straining makes even non-fat yogurt varieties thicker, richer, and creamier than unstrained. Since straining removes the whey, more milk is required to make strained yogurt, increasing the production cost. In Western Europe and the United States, strained yogurt has increased in popularity compared to unstrained yogurt. Since the straining process removes some of the lactose, strained yogurt is lower in sugar than unstrained yogurt.<ref name="mother"/>

It was reported in 2012 that most of the growth in the US$4.1 billion American yogurt industry came from the strained yogurt sub-segment, typically marketed as "Greek yogurt".<ref>{{cite news|url= https://online.wsj.com/article/AP7fc6a591c5894845953163cf3e221c52.html|title= Greek yogurt on a marathon-like growth spur|work= The Wall Street Journal|agency= Associated Press|date= 22 January 2012|access-date= 15 March 2017|archive-date= 19 August 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140819085902/http://online.wsj.com/article/AP7fc6a591c5894845953163cf3e221c52.html}}</ref><ref name=Neuman>{{cite news|last=Neuman |first=William |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/13/business/demand-for-greek-style-helps-form-a-yogurt-cluster-in-new-york.html |title=Greek Yogurt a Boon for New York State|work=The New York Times|date= 12 January 2012}}</ref> In the US, there is no legal or standard definition of Greek yogurt, and yogurt thickened with thickening agents, typically pectin, locust bean gum, starches or guar gum, may also be sold as "Greek yogurt".<ref name=NPR>{{cite web|last1=Charles |first1=Dan |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/07/19/156997600/high-tech-shortcut-to-greek-yogurt-leaves-purists-fuming |title=High-Tech Shortcut To Greek Yogurt Leaves Purists Fuming|website=NPR|date=19 July 2012 |access-date=19 March 2023}}</ref>

==Name== In English, strained yogurt only became well known outside of immigrant communities in the 1980s,<ref>''Oxford English Dictionary'', Draft addition, June 2015, [http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/81157 ''s.v.'' Greek]</ref> when it was imported into the United Kingdom by the Greek company Fage, under the brand name "Total". Starting in the 1980s, essentially all yogurt in the UK called "Greek yogurt" was strained yogurt made in Greece.<ref>''Fage UK Ltd & Anor v Chobani UK Ltd & Anor'' [2013] EWHC 630 (Ch), 26 March 2013, [http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Ch/2013/630.html full decision]</ref>

==Geographical variations== ===Central Asia=== In the cuisines of many Iranian and Turkic people (such as Afghan, Tajik, Tatar, Uzbek, and other Central Asian cuisines), a type of strained yogurt called ''chak(k)a''<ref name=":0">{{Cite book | last = Meyer | first = Arthur L. | author2=Jon M. Vann | title = The Appetizer Atlas: A World of Small Bites | publisher = John Wiley | year = 2003 | page = 348 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=w9p8mVe9wTUC&q=chaka+cheese+yogurt&pg=PA348 | isbn = 978-0-471-41102-4}}</ref> or ''süzme'' is consumed. It is obtained by draining qatiq, a local yogurt variety. By further drying it, one obtains qurut, a kind of dry fresh cheese.<ref>{{Cite web |last=López-Fonseca |first=Óscar |date=2024-02-28 |title=‘Qurut’, the dried yogurt balls rich in calcium and protein that have been chewed since the times of Ghengis Khan |url=https://english.elpais.com/culture/2024-02-27/qurut-the-dried-yogurt-balls-rich-in-calcium-and-protein-that-have-been-chewed-since-the-times-of-ghengis-khan.html |access-date=2026-05-24 |website=EL PAÍS English |language=en-us}}</ref>

===The Middle East and the Mediterranean=== {{multiple image | align = right | direction = vertical | width = 200 | header = Preparation of labneh | image1 = Labneh draining (5196911229).jpg | alt1 = Cloth in a container with whey seen in the bottom | caption1 = Yoghurt being drained of its whey using a cloth to create labneh, whey can be seen in the bottom of the container | image2 = Labneh (5196911587).jpg | alt2 = A rigid blob of yogurt | caption2 = Labneh after being drained and removed from the cloth }} Strained yogurt is made by straining the liquid out of yogurt until it takes on a consistency similar to a soft cheese. Strained yogurt is known as ''labneh or labaneh'' (''labna'', ''labni, labne,'' ''lebni'', or ''labani''; Arabic: {{lang|ar|لبنة}}, Hebrew: לאבנה) in the countries of the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, and the Arabian Peninsula. ''Labaneh bil zayit'', 'labaneh in oil', consists of small balls of dry labneh, sometimes covered with herbs or spices, kept in olive oil, where it can be preserved for over a year. As it ages it turns more sour. The flavor depends largely on the sort of milk used: labneh from cow's milk has a rather mild flavor. The quality of the olive oil topping also influences the taste of labneh. Milk from camels and other mammals is used in labneh production in the Middle East.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-12-12 |title=Labneh - Middle Eastern Soft Cheese |url=http://www.chowandchatter.com/2012/12/labneh-middle-eastern-soft-cheese.html |access-date=2026-05-24 |language=en}}</ref>{{Self-published source|reason=blog|date=May 2026}}

==== The Levant ====

Labneh is a common mezze dish and sandwich ingredient, especially in the Levant. A common sandwich in the Middle East consists of labneh, mint, za'atar, and olive on flatbread. It is a common breakfast dip.<ref name="haaretz.com">Debra Kamin. [https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/travel/2013-05-23/ty-article/.premium/tourist-tip-242-labneh/0000017f-def0-d856-a37f-fff07d660000 Tourist tip #242:Labheh]. Haaretz</ref> It is usually eaten spread on a plate and drizzled with olive oil, and often dried mint. It is also often paired as a dip with the mixed herb blend za'atar. Bedouin also produce a dry, hard labneh (''labaneh malboudeh'', similar to Central Asian qurut) that can be stored; strained labneh is pressed in a cheesecloth and dried out.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zebib |first=Hadia |date=2014-02-26 |title=Yogurt Balls (Labne Balls) |url=https://hadiaslebanesecuisine.com/blog/yogurt-balls-labne-balls/ |access-date=2026-05-24 |website=hadias lebanese cuisine |language=en-US}}</ref>{{Self-published source|reason=blog|date=May 2026}} In Lebanon and Palestine, ''labaneh'' is rolled into balls and preserved by storing them in olive oil; the balls are flavored by coating them with herbs and spices.<ref> {{cite news |title=لبنة الماعز... لبنانيون يحيون تراث الأجداد لمواجهة أزماتهم |url=https://www.alaraby.co.uk/society/%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%B2-%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%AD%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AB-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AC%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D9%84%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AC%D9%87%D8%A9-%D8%A3%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%87%D9%85 |access-date=4 January 2026 |work=The New Arab |date=2022 |language=ar |trans-title=Goat's labaneh... Lebanese people revive ancestral heritage to confront their crises}} </ref><ref> {{cite news |title=التفنن بتحضيرها لا يُحصى... والنكهات المضافة إليها لا تُحدّ |url=https://aawsat.com/%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%82/%D9%85%D8%B0%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%AA/4915261-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%81%D9%86%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%B6%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%87%D8%A7-%D9%84%D8%A7-%D9%8A%D9%8F%D8%AD%D8%B5%D9%89-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D9%83%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B6%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%A9-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%87%D8%A7-%D9%84%D8%A7-%D8%AA%D9%8F%D8%AD%D8%AF%D9%91 |access-date=4 January 2026 |work=Asharq Al-Awsat |date=2024 |language=ar |trans-title=The ways to prepare it are countless... and the flavors added to it are limitless.}} </ref><ref> {{cite book |last1=Tamimi |first1=Sami |last2=Wigley |first2=Tara |title=Falastin: A Cookbook |date=16 June 2020 |publisher=Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed |isbn=978-0-399-58174-8 |pages=523–533 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PACmDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT523 |access-date=5 January 2026 |language=en}} </ref>

====Egypt====

In Egypt, it is eaten with savory accompaniments such as olives and oil, and also with a sweetener such as honey, as a snack or breakfast food. Areesh cheese (or arish, {{langx|ar|جبنة قريش}}) is a type of cheese that originated in Egypt. Arish cheese is made from yogurt heated slowly until it curdles and separates, then placed in cheesecloth to drain. It is similar in taste to ricotta.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ovendriedtomatoes.com/2008/10/15/vdp-arish/|access-date=2013-04-14|title=VDP: Arish|date=15 October 2008|work=Oven-Dried Tomatoes|archive-date=17 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160917123239/https://ovendriedtomatoes.com/2008/10/15/vdp-arish/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The protein content of Areesh cheese is 17.6%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ifood.tv/network/african_cheese|title=African Cheese: Egypt|work=ifood.tv|access-date=2013-04-14|publisher=FutureToday Inc.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604195554/http://www.ifood.tv/network/african_cheese|archive-date=4 June 2013}}</ref> Shanklish, a fermented cheese, is made from areesh cheese.<ref>{{cite book|last=Helou|first=Anissa|title=Lebanese Cuisine|year=1998|publisher=St. Martin's Griffin|location=New York|isbn=0-312-18735-1|page=18}}</ref>

====Cyprus====

As in Greece, strained yogurt is widely used in Cypriot cuisine both as an ingredient in recipes as well as on its own or as a supplement to a dish. In Cyprus, strained yogurt is usually made from sheep or goats milk.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-20 |title=Pantry staples - Intercollege |url=https://www.intercollege.ac.cy/pantry-staples/ |access-date=2026-05-24 |website=www.intercollege.ac.cy |language=en-US}}</ref>

====Iran====

Strained yogurt in Iran is called ''mâst chekide'' and is usually used for making dips, or served as a side dish. In Northern Iran, ''mâst chekide'' is a variety of kefir with a distinct sour taste. It is usually mixed with fresh herbs in a pesto-like purée called delal.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yearning for Yogurt |url=https://hobblecreek.us/blog/entry/a-yearning-for-yogurt |access-date=2026-05-24 |website=hobblecreek.us}}</ref> Yogurt is a side dish to many Iranian meals. Strained yogurt is used as dips and various appetizers with multitudes of ingredients, including cucumbers, onions, shallots, fresh herbs (dill, spearmint, parsley, cilantro), spinach, walnuts, zereshk, and garlic. The best-known appetizers are spinach or eggplant borani, ''mâst-o-khiâr'' with cucumber, spring onions and herbs, or ''mâst-musir'' with wild shallots. Strained yogurt in Balochistan is called ''sheelanch''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Baloch |first=Panah |date=2019-10-02 |title=Balochi Cuisine |url=https://www.thebalochnews.com/2019/10/02/balochi-cuisine/ |access-date=2026-05-24 |website=The Baloch News |language=en-US}}</ref>

====Turkey====

thumb|Unstirred Turkish ''süzme yoğurt'' (strained yogurt), with a 10 percent fat content In Turkey, strained yogurt is known as ''süzme yoğurt''<ref>Walker, Harlan, ed. (2000) [https://books.google.com/books?id=tuor2vcVtiQC&q=s%C3%BCzme&pg=PA276 ''Milk-- Beyond the Dairy: Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery 1999''] Totnes, Devon, Eng. : Prospect Books. page 276. {{ISBN|9781903018064}}.</ref> ('strained yogurt') or ''kese yoğurdu'' ('bag yogurt').<ref>''[http://hbogm.meb.gov.tr/modulerprogramlar/kursprogramlari/gida/moduller/suzme_yogurt.pdf Süzme Yoğurt]''. Food Technology, MEGEP, Turkish Ministry of Education, 2007 (in Turkish)</ref> Water is sometimes added in the preparation of cacık that is not eaten as a meze but consumed as a beverage. Strained yogurt is used in Turkish mezes and dips such as haydari. In Turkish markets, ''labne'' is also a common dairy product, but it is different from strained yogurt; it is yogurt-based creamy cheese without salt, and is used like mascarpone.<ref>[http://eng.pinar.com.tr/products/detail/Pinar-Labaneh/2072/2240/0 Pınar Labaneh]. Pinar, Yaşar Group</ref>

====Armenia====

thumb|Lebni in the US with English, Armenian and Arabic text [[File:Մածունը քամելիս.JPG|thumb|Yogurt being strained through cheesecloth]] In Armenia, strained yogurt is called ''kamats matzoon''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-05-20 |title=Traditional Yogurts Around the World |url=https://revolutionfermentation.com/en/blogs/yogurt/traditional-yogurts-world/ |access-date=2026-05-24 |website=Revolution Fermentation |language=en-CA}}</ref> Traditionally, it was produced for long-term preservation by draining matzoon in cloth sacks.

===South Asia=== [[File:Dhau.JPG|thumb|right|A disposable clay pot with ''dahi'']] Strained yogurt called ''chakka'', is made by draining the yogurt in a (preferably muslin) cloth.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Damle |first1=Chinmay |title=Taste of Life: Poona cream cheese and cross-cultural exchange of cuisines |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/pune-news/chakka-cream-cheese-and-cross-cultural-cuisine-the-fascinating-story-of-poona-cream-cheese-and-bagels-in-new-york-101683811710743.html |access-date=10 June 2023 |work=Hindustan Times |date=11 May 2023 |language=en}}</ref> It is hung for 12 to 18 hours to allow some of the whey to drain off. This technique is frequently used in India and Pakistan.<ref>{{cite book|title=The New Food Lover's Companion|author=Ron Herbst, Sharon Tyler Herbst|year=2013|publisher=Sourcebooks |isbn=978-1-4380-9233-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cWpnEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT157}}</ref> Shrikhand is a dish made with chakka, sugar, saffron, cardamom, and pureed or diced fruit and nuts mixed in; it is often eaten with poori. It is particularly common in the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2021-05-15 |title=Shrikhand Recipe (Flavored Yogurt) |url=https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/shrikhand-recipe/ |access-date=2026-05-24 |website=Swasthi's Recipes |language=en-US}}</ref> ''Chakka'' is also eaten in Pashtun-dominated regions of Pakistan with rice and meat dishes.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kelley|first1=Laura|title=The Silk Road Gourmet: Western and Southern Asia|date=2009|publisher=iUniverse |location=New York|isbn=978-1-4401-4305-2|page=191|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NrANvuIMjeEC|language=en}}</ref>

===Southeastern Europe=== [[File:Tzatziki Greek meze or appetizer, also used as a sauce.jpg|thumb|Tzatziki, a common meze in Greece]] Strained yogurt ({{Langx|el|στραγγιστό γιαούρτι|translit=strangistó giaoúrti}}) is used in Greek food mostly as the base for tzatziki dip and as a dessert, with honey, sour cherry syrup, or spoon sweets often served on top. A few savory Greek dishes also use strained yogurt. In Greece, strained yogurt, like yogurt in general, is traditionally made from sheep's milk. Fage International S.A. began straining cow's-milk yogurt for industrial production in Greece in 1975, when it launched its brand "Total".<ref>Daphne Zepos. [http://www.kerasma.gr/default.asp?entryID=380&pageID=96&tablePageID=35&langID=2 Greek Gastronomy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603035702/http://www.kerasma.gr/default.asp?entryID=380&pageID=96&tablePageID=35&langID=2 |date=3 June 2013 }}. Kerasma, accessed on 2013-01-24</ref>

In Albania, strained yogurt is called ''salcë kosi.'' Yogurt is drained in a cloth sack for a few hours to overnight.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sonila |date=2023-01-12 |title=Homemade Strained Yogurt |url=https://mediterraneanlatinloveaffair.com/strained-yogurt-salce-kosi/ |access-date=2026-05-24 |website=Mediterranean Latin Love Affair |language=en-US}}</ref> The water released from this process is called ''hirrë'' and can be used to preserve cheese or as a drink.

In Bulgaria, where yogurt is considered to be an integral part of the national cuisine, strained yogurt is called ''tsedeno kiselo mliako'' ({{langx|bg|цедено кисело мляко}}) and is used in a variety of salads and dressings.

A variety of strained yogurt called ''basa'' is a traditional variety of cheese from the region of Lika in Croatia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Basa {{!}} Local Cheese From Lika-Senj County |url=https://www.tasteatlas.com/basa |access-date=2026-05-24 |website=www.tasteatlas.com}}</ref> In Serbia and North Macedonia, it is also known as ''kiselo mleko'' (кисело млеко).<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2020-09-11 |title=Fermented Milk Products from All Over the World • Kiselo mleko (Serbia |url=https://www.yogurtathome.com/single-post/2020/04/14/fermented-milk-products-from-all-over-the-world-e2-80-a2-kiselo-mleko-serbia |access-date=2026-05-24 |website=natprosel |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2019-09-12 |title=Fermented Milk Products from All Over the World. Kiselo mleko (Macedon |url=https://www.yogurtathome.com/single-post/2019/09/12/fermented-milk-products-from-all-over-the-world-kiselo-mleko-macedonia |access-date=2026-05-24 |website=natprosel |language=en}}</ref>

===Northern Europe=== A type of strained yogurt named ymer is available in Denmark. In contrast to the Greek variety, only a minor amount of whey is drained off in the production process.<ref name="Arla - Product description and history">{{Cite web|url=http://arla.dk/Produkter/Artikler/a38/ |title=Syrnede produkter |access-date=2009-04-12 |publisher=Arla Foods Corporation |language=da |year=2009}}</ref>

Strained yogurt is known as ''hangop'', literally meaning 'hang up' in the Netherlands. It is a traditional dessert. ''Hangop'' may also be made using buttermilk.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rutger |date=2017-05-20 |title=Hangop – basisrecept |url=https://rutgerbakt.nl/basisrecepten/hangop-basisrecept/ |access-date=2025-09-25 |website=Rutger Bakt |language=nl-NL}}</ref>

===United Kingdom=== In the UK, strained yogurt can only be marketed as "Greek" if made in Greece. Strained cow-milk yogurt not made in Greece is typically sold as "Greek style" or "Greek recipe" for marketing reasons, typically at lower prices than yogurt made in Greece. Among "Greek style" yogurts, there is no distinction between those thickened by straining and those thickened through additives.<ref name="fage">{{cite web|url=http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Ch/2013/630.html|title=Fage UK Ltd & Anor v Chobani UK Ltd & Anor [2013] EWHC 630 (Ch) (26 March 2013)|work=bailii.org §7}}</ref> However, if the yogurt contains anything other than lactic products, food enzymes and micro-organism cultures a list of ingredients is required on packaging.<ref name=ukcode>{{Cite report|url=https://www.dairyuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Code-of-Practice-for-the-Composition-and-Labelling-of-Yogurt.pdf|title=Code of Practice for the composition and labelling of yogurt - Section 6|publisher=Dairy UK (trade federation)|date=November 2015|orig-date=Originally published March 1983, revised}}</ref>

In September 2012, Chobani UK began to sell yogurt made in the United States as "Greek yogurt". FAGE, a company that manufactures yogurt in Greece and sells it in the United Kingdom, filed a passing-off claim against Chobani in the UK High Court, claiming that UK consumers understood "Greek" to refer to the country of origin (similar to "Belgian beer"); Chobani's position was that consumers understood "Greek" to refer to a preparation (similar to "French toast"). Both companies relied on surveys to prove their point; FAGE also relied on the previous industry practice of UK yogurt makers not to label their yogurt as "Greek yogurt". Ultimately Mr Justice Briggs found in favor of FAGE and granted an injunction preventing Chobani from using the name "Greek yogurt".<ref name=fage/> In February 2014, this decision was upheld on appeal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/markup.cgi?doc=/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2014/5.html|title=Fage UK Ltd & Anor v Chobani UK Ltd & Anor [2014] EWCA Civ 5 (28 January 2014)|work=bailii.org}}</ref><ref>Ben Bouckley. [http://www.dairyreporter.com/Regulation-Safety/Chobani-gets-Fage-fright-loses-Greek-Yogurt-appeal Dairy reporter "Chobani gets Fage fright, loses Greek Yogurt appeal"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150515190709/http://www.dairyreporter.com/Regulation-Safety/Chobani-gets-Fage-fright-loses-Greek-Yogurt-appeal |date=15 May 2015 }}. ''DairyReporter'', 28 January 2014</ref> Greece may now seek to protect the marketing term, "Greek yogurt", across the entire EU under protected designation of origin rules.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Brehaut|first1=Laura|title=This is why Greece is seeking to reclaim its yogurt and quash imitations|url=https://nationalpost.com/life/food/this-is-why-greece-is-seeking-to-reclaim-its-yogurt-and-quash-imitations|access-date=18 August 2017|work=The National Post|date=18 August 2017}}</ref>

In May 2020, British dairy company Yeo Valley entered the market with an organic product called "Super Thick Kerned Yogurt.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Yeo Valley releases new Super Thick Kerned Yogurt in UK|url=https://www.foodbev.com/news/yeo-valley-releases-new-super-thick-kerned-yogurt-in-uk/|last=Upshall|first=Emma|date=6 May 2020|website=foodbev.com|access-date=21 May 2020}}</ref> The "kerned yogurt" label was the first of its kind, coined in reference to an archaic Somerset term meaning "thickened", which is predominantly used in relation to dairy products.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Elworthy|first=Frederick Thomas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qHkKAAAAIAAJ&q=west+somerset+kern+elworthy&pg=PA396|title=The Dialect of West Somerset: A Paper Read Before the Philological Society, January 15, 1875|date=1875|publisher=English dialect society|language=en}}</ref>

A product called "Lindahls Kvarg" was launched in the UK by Nestlé<ref>{{cite web | title=Introducing Nestlé Lindahls Kvarg from Sweden! |publisher=Nestlé Lindahls| url=https://www.lindahls.co.uk/product_category/0-fat/ | access-date=14 September 2024}}</ref> in 2018, and described as "Sweden's No. 1 Quark". Quark is a type of high-protein strained curd cheese widely used in Swedish cooking. The company Bio-tiful launched its kefir-quark blend, containing live cultures and protein.<ref>{{Cite web|title=UK: Bio-tiful Dairy launches kefir quark blend|url=http://www.gamaconsumer.com/uk-bio-tiful-dairy-launches-kefir-quark-blend/|date=2018-02-19|website=Gama|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-05-20}}</ref>

Since 2015, Arla has sold its own skyr product marketed as "Icelandic style yogurt".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Welcome to skyr, the Viking 'superfood' waking up Britain|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/27/skyr-viking-superfood-waking-up-britain|date=2016-11-27|last=Oliver|first=Brian|website=The Guardian|language=en|access-date=2020-05-20}}</ref>

===North America=== In Mexico, the thick yogurt ''jocoque seco'' was popularized by local producers of Lebanese origin.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jocoque |url=https://www.mextizopnw.com/blog/2019/1/6/jocoque |access-date=2026-05-24 |website=Gino García |language=en-US}}</ref>

Strained yogurt typically marketed as "Greek yogurt" has become popular in the United States and Canada,<ref name="mother">{{cite web |url=http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2010/06/greek-yogurt-better-regular |title=Is Greek Yogurt Better Than Regular? |access-date=2010-11-07 |work=Mother Jones }}</ref> where it is often used as a lower-calorie substitute for sour cream or crème fraîche.<ref>Barbara Fairchild. ''Bon Appetit Desserts: The Cookbook for All Things Sweet and Wonderful'', [https://books.google.com/books?id=m_Nz8PkYawYC&pg=PA8 p. 8]. Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2010</ref> Celebrity chef Graham Kerr became an early adopter of strained yogurt as an ingredient, frequently featuring it (and demonstrating how to strain plain yogurt through a coffee filter) on his eponymous 1990 cooking show, as frequently as he had featured clarified butter on ''The Galloping Gourmet'' in the late 1960s. In 2015, food market research firm Packaged Facts reported that Greek yogurt has a 50 percent share of the yogurt market in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Login {{!}} Recorder.com|url = http://www.recorder.com/home/18232522-95/from-chobani-to-fage-greek-yogurt-dominates|website = recorder.com|access-date = 2015-09-10}}</ref>

There are numerous "Greek yogurt" brands in North America.<ref name=mother/> Fage began importing its Greek products in 1998 and opened a domestic production plant in Johnstown, New York, in 2008.<ref name=Neuman /> Chobani, based in New Berlin, New York, began marketing its Greek-style yogurt in 2007. The Voskos brand entered the US market in 2009 with imported Greek yogurt products at 10%, 2%, and 0% milkfat.<ref name="Voskos">{{cite web|url=http://www.voskos.com |website=Voskos|title= Greek Yogurt|author= Sun Valley Dairy| access-date=3 March 2008}}</ref> Stonyfield Farms, owned by Groupe Danone, introduced Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt in 2007; Danone began marketing a non-organic Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt in 2011 and also produced a now discontinued blended Greek-style yogurt under the Activia Selects brand;<ref name=theKitchn>{{cite web|url=http://www.thekitchn.com/greek-yogurt-wars-high-tech-shortcuts-vs-purists-174420 |title=Greek Yogurt Wars: The High-Tech Shortcuts vs. The Purists|website=theKitchn|access-date=24 January 2013}}</ref> Dannon Light & Fit Greek nonfat yogurt was introduced in 2012,<ref>''[http://www.perishablenews.com/index.php?article=0027145 Dannon Wants To Help Operators Get Growing With Greek Yogurt]''. Dannon via PerishableNews, 6 February 2013</ref> and Activia Greek yogurt was re-introduced in 2013.<ref>''[https://finance.yahoo.com/news/dannon-introduces-activia-greek-190819085.html Dannon Introduces New Activia Greek]''. Dannon via Yahoo finance, 29 April 2013</ref> General Mills introduced a Greek-style yogurt under the Yoplait brand name in early 2010, which was discontinued and replaced by Yoplait Greek 100 in August 2012.<ref>''[http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120808005594/en/Yoplait-Introduces-100-Calorie-Greek-Yogurt Yoplait Introduces New, 100-Calorie Greek Yogurt]''. Yoplait via Business Wire, 8 August 2012</ref> Activia Greek yogurt was re-introduced in 2013, and in July 2012 took over US distribution and sales of Canadian Liberté's Greek brands. In Canada, Yoplait was launched in January 2013, and is packaged with toppings.<ref>Tim Shufelt (23 August 2012). [http://www.canadianbusiness.com/business-news/industries/consumer-goods/yogurt-wars-get-serious/ "Canada goes Greek, Yogurt wars get serious"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210615100641/https://www.canadianbusiness.com/business-news/industries/consumer-goods/yogurt-wars-get-serious/ |date=15 June 2021 }}. Canadian Business, 23 August 2012</ref>

==Production== While yogurt may legally be described as "strained", modern commercial production does not usually reduce the liquid content by passing the yogurt through a filter under gravity, the usual definition of straining. The characteristic thick texture and high protein content are achieved through either or both of two processing steps. The milk may be concentrated by ultrafiltration to remove a portion of the water before addition of yogurt cultures.<ref name=Gelski>{{cite web |author=Gelski, Jeff |url=http://www.foodbusinessnews.net/News/News%20Home/Features/2011/3/My%20big%20thick%20Greek%20yogurt.aspx |title=My big, thick Greek yogurt: protein, straining methods affect texture |website=FoodBusinessNews |date=4 April 2011 |access-date=23 August 2012 |archive-date=18 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818221122/http://www.foodbusinessnews.net/News/News%20Home/Features/2011/3/My%20big%20thick%20Greek%20yogurt.aspx }}</ref> Alternatively, after culturing, the yogurt may be centrifuged or membrane-filtered to remove whey, in a process analogous to the traditional straining step. Brands described as "strained" yogurt, including Activia Greek, Chobani, Dannon Light & Fit Greek, Dannon Oikos, FAGE, Stonyfield Organic Oikos, Trader Joe's, and Yoplait, have undergone the second process. Process details are highly guarded trade secrets. Other brands of Greek-style yogurt, including Yoplait and some store brands, are made by adding milk protein concentrate and thickeners<ref>{{cite web|author=Scott-Thomas, Caroline |url=http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Markets/National-Starch-develops-ingredient-for-no-strain-Greek-yogurt |title=National Starch develops ingredient for no strain Greek yogurt|website= Foodnavigator-USA|date= 23 June 2011}}</ref> to standard yogurt to boost the protein content and modify the texture.<ref name=Gelski />

The liquid resulting from straining yogurt is called "acid whey" and is composed of water, yogurt cultures, protein, a slight amount of lactose, and lactic acid. It is costly to dispose of.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dairyreporter.com/Processing-Packaging/Greek-yogurt-waste-acid-whey-a-concern-for-USDA-Jones-Laffin|title=Greek yogurt waste 'acid whey' a concern for USDA: Jones Laffin|work=DairyReporter.com|date=30 January 2014|last=Astley|first=Mark }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.environmentalleader.com/2013/07/02/yogurt-companies-face-whey-disposal-problem/|title=Yogurt Companies Face Whey Disposal Problem|author=Environmental Leader|work=Environmental Leader|date=2 July 2013|access-date=5 September 2014|archive-date=10 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110092419/http://www.environmentalleader.com/2013/07/02/yogurt-companies-face-whey-disposal-problem}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dairyreporter.com/Manufacturers/Chobani-Dannon-attempt-to-defuse-Greek-yogurt-acid-whey-environmental-concerns|title=Chobani, Dannon attempt to defuse Greek yogurt 'acid whey' concerns|work=DairyReporter.com|date=26 May 2013|last=Astley|first=Mark }}</ref> Farmers have used the whey to mix with animal feed and fertilizer. Using anaerobic digesters, it can be a source of methane that can be used to produce electricity.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://modernfarmer.com/2013/05/whey-too-much-greek-yogurts-dark-side/|title=Whey Too Much: Greek Yogurt's Dark Side|date=22 May 2013|last=Elliott|first=Justin|work=Modern Farmer|access-date=28 December 2013}}</ref>

== Nutrition == {{Main|Yogurt#Nutrition}}

Strained yogurt is a good source of protein, calcium, iodine, and vitamin B12.<ref name="moore">{{Cite journal|last1=Moore|first1=JB|last2=Horti|first2=A|last3=Fielding|first3=BA|date=2018-08-01|title=Evaluation of the nutrient content of yogurts: a comprehensive survey of yogurt products in the major UK supermarkets|journal=BMJ Open|language=en|volume=8|issue=8|article-number=e021387|doi=10.1136/bmjopen-2017-021387|doi-access=free|issn=2044-6055|pmid=30228100|pmc=6144340}}</ref><ref name="harvard">{{Cite news|url=https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/yogurt/|title=Yogurt|newspaper=The Nutrition Source |publisher=The Nutrition Source, Harvard University, TH Chan School of Public Health|date=2019|access-date=2019-08-06}}</ref> The straining process, which removes liquid whey and lactose, yields higher protein content.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last1=Meydani|first1=Simin Nikbin|last2=Dao|first2=Maria Carlota|last3=El-Abbadi|first3=Naglaa Hani|date=2014-05-01|title=Yogurt: role in healthy and active aging|journal=American Journal of Clinical Nutrition|language=en|volume=99|issue=5|pages=1263S–1270S|doi=10.3945/ajcn.113.073957|pmid=24695886|pmc=6410895|issn=0002-9165|doi-access=free}}</ref> The FAO standard requires yogurt to have at least 5.6% protein content if strained, otherwise 2.7%.<ref>{{cite report|title=Codex Alimentarius - STANDARD FOR FERMENTED MILKS|section=2.2: Concentrated Fermented Milk and 3.3: Composition|url=https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/sh-proxy/en/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252FStandards%252FCXS%2B243-2003%252FCXS_243e.pdf |publisher=Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations |id=CXS 243-2003|year=2022|orig-date=Originally published in 2003, later revised.}}</ref> Strained yogurt has less sugar content than other yogurts.<ref name=moore/>

=== Vitamins === Yogurt is a rich source of dietary minerals, with calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and zinc higher in content than in milk.<ref name=moore/><ref name=harvard/> One negative aspect of strained yogurt is that there is greater vitamin loss through the straining process than typical yogurt;<ref name=moore/> in particular, the water-soluble vitamins: vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, folic acid, and vitamin B12 as well as vitamin A in its beta-carotene form can be lost through the straining of liquid whey from yogurt.<ref name=moore/>

===Macronutrients=== There are no standard regulations in the market to monitor or control the composition of concentrated yogurts.<ref name="tamime">{{Cite journal|last1=Tamime|first1=Adnan Y|last2=Hickey|first2=Michael|last3=Muir|first3=David D|date=2014-08-01|title=Strained fermented milks - A review of existing legislative provisions, survey of nutritional labeling of commercial products in selected markets and terminology of products in some selected countries|journal=International Journal of Dairy Technology|language=en|volume=67|issue=3|pages=305–333|doi=10.1111/1471-0307.12147|issn=1471-0307}}</ref> Carbohydrate, fat and protein contents in strained yogurts varied from 1–12, 0–20, and 3.3–11 grams per 100 grams.<ref name=tamime/> Concentrated yogurts contain higher final total solid content than regular yogurts, possibly prolonging shelf life compared to regular yogurts.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Fermented Milks|last=zer|first=B.|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|pages=128–155|language=en|doi=10.1002/9780470995501.ch6}}</ref>

==See also== {{portal|Food}} * List of dairy products

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{Yogurts}} {{Milk navbox}}

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