{{Short description|Icelandic cultured dairy product}}{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}} thumb|270px|A German journalist eating a portion of skyr in 1934 thumb|Mass-produced vanilla skyr thumb|Varieties of flavored skyr
'''Skyr''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|k|ɪər}} {{respell|SKEER|'}}; {{IPA|is|ˈscɪːr̥}}) is a traditional Icelandic cultured dairy product. It has the consistency of strained yogurt, but a milder flavor. Skyr can be classified as a fresh sour milk cheese, similar to curd cheese consumed like a yogurt in the Baltic states, the Low Countries and Germany.<ref>{{cite web|author=Guðmundur Guðmundsson|title=Hnigfræði og smásæ bygging skyrs: Abstract|date=23 February 2007|url=http://mni.d10.is/mni/Default.aspx?D10cID=ReadEvent&ID=118|language=is, en|access-date=25 April 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710204135/http://mni.d10.is/mni/Default.aspx?D10cID=ReadEvent&ID=118|archive-date=10 July 2012}}</ref> It has been a part of Icelandic cuisine for centuries.<ref name="ms">{{Cite web|url=http://skyr.ms.is/category.aspx?catID=275|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050206225426/http://skyr.ms.is/category.aspx?catID=275|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 February 2005|title=About the production of skyr|date=6 February 2005|publisher=Mjólkursamsalan|language=is}}</ref>
Skyr has a slightly sour dairy flavor, with a hint of residual sweetness. It is traditionally served cold, sometimes with cream. Commercial manufacturers of skyr may add flavors such as vanilla, coffee, or fruit.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/14/dining/14icel.html|title=Iceland woos America with lamb and skyr|newspaper=New York Times|date=14 September 2005|first=Kim|last=Severson|access-date=25 June 2018}}</ref>
== Etymology == The word ''skyr'' is related to the English word ''shear'' (to cut), referring to how the milk is split into the liquid whey and the thick skyr.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://malid.is/leit/skyr#results-ordsifjabok|title=Icelandic Etymological Dictionary|author=Ásgeir Blöndal Magnússon|year=1989|isbn=9789979654018|language=is}}</ref>
== History == Skyr is mentioned in several medieval Icelandic sources, including ''Egil's saga'' and ''Grettis saga''.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tirosh |first=Yoav |date=2020 |title=Milk, Masculinity, and Humor-Less Vikings – Gender in the Old Norse Polysystem |url=https://www.academia.edu/44909391 |journal=Limes |volume=13 |pages=136–50}}</ref> However, it is not known how similar this was to modern skyr because no detailed description of medieval skyr has survived. Originally, skyr was made from sheep's milk, but today the world is more familiar with cow's milk skyr.<ref>{{cite journal | doi=10.1016/j.idairyj.2023.105641 | title=Traditional and modern Nordic fermented milk products: A review | journal=International Dairy Journal | date=July 2023 | volume=142 | last1=Narvhus | first1=Judith A. | last2=Abrahamsen | first2=Roger K. | article-number=105641 | doi-access=free }}</ref>
In Scandinavia, versions of the word ''skyr'' have been used for various cultured milk products since the middle ages<ref>{{Cite book |last=Grøn |first=Fredrik |title=Om kostholdet i Norge indtil aar 1500 |publisher=Jacob Dybwad |year=1927 |location=Oslo |pages=93–94 |language=no}}</ref> and continue today. These are usually made without cooking,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Godø |first=Marie |title=Mat- og drikkeoppskrifter frå Indre Nordfjord i eldre tid |publisher=Stryn bondekvinnelag |year=1985 |pages=11 |language=no}}</ref> by adding culture to skimmed milk and leaving it to ferment. Rennet is not usually used. This skyr (''skjør'' in standard Norwegian) might be eaten with bread, watered down and drunk, cooked in porridge, or mixed with sour-cream as a dip for flatbread,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Moen |first=Eirik |title=Bygdaboka for Voll. 3 : Den gamle bygda |publisher=Bygdaboknemnda for Voll |year=1991 |pages=269 |language=no}}</ref> or cooked to split into curds such as in skjørost, gamalost or ''skjør-kjuke''<ref>{{Cite book |title=Gamle matoppskrifter frå Vågå |publisher=Vågå bondekvinnelag |year=1978 |pages=26 |language=no}}</ref> for eating and sour whey for drinking.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Smørvik |first=Per |title=Melkstell |publisher=vefsn bygdesamling |year=1979 |pages=20 |language=no}}</ref>
A food more similar to the Icelandic skyr is found in Østerdalen, Norway. Kjellermjølk is made by heating skimmed milk, cooling it, then adding the culture (and often rennet) gradually.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sopp |first=Olav |title=Surmelk |publisher=Olaf Norli |year=1914 |pages=31 |language=no}}</ref> The resulting split liquid can be consumed for months.{{Cn|date=February 2025}}
==Nutrition== Skyr is a high-protein, low-fat product made from low-fat milk, varying slightly between brands. Unflavored skyr has roughly 13 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates, and 0.2 g fat per 100 g.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ms.is/vorur/vara/kea-skyr--500-g/109|title=Nutritional values for KEA skyr hrært|website=Mjólkursamsalan|language=is|access-date=26 February 2019}}</ref>
==Production== Today, skyr is made from skimmed milk which is either pasteurized or heated to at least {{convert|72|-|75|C|F}} for 15–20 seconds, and then cooled down to {{Convert|37|C|F|abbr=}}.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Lactic Acid Bacteria for Fermented Dairy Products |encyclopedia=Lactic Acid Bacteria |year=2019 |last1=Binda |first1=Sylvie |last2=Ouwehand |first2=Arthur C. |publisher=CRC Press |page=181 |isbn=9780429615641 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UU-fDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Icelandic+Regulation+851/2012%22&pg=PA181}}</ref> A small portion of a previous batch of skyr is then added to the warm milk to introduce the essential culture (the active bacterial culture), and with the addition of rennet the milk starts to curdle.<ref name="visindavefurinn">{{Cite web|url=http://www.visindavefur.is/svar.php?id=3331|title=Hvernig er skyrgerillinn til kominn?|author=Björn Sigurður Gunnarsson|date=11 April 2003|website=Vísindavefurinn|language=is|access-date=26 February 2019}}</ref> It is left to ferment for 5 hours before being cooled to {{Convert|18|C|F|abbr=}}.<ref name="visindavefurinn" /> Then the product is strained through fabric to remove the liquid whey.<ref name="visindavefurinn" /><ref name="ms" />
Bacteria such as ''Streptococcus thermophilus'' and ''Lactobacillus delbrueckii'' subsp. ''bulgaricus'' play an important role in the fermentation of skyr.<ref name="visindavefurinn" /> They also play a major role in the production of yogurt, but the yeast which is active in the low temperature step ensures that the product becomes a skyr and not a yogurt.<ref name="visindavefurinn" />
== Commerce == Skyr is commonly consumed in Iceland.<ref>{{Cite web|date=23 March 2017|title=Icelandic skyr now makes up 2% of the US yogurt market|url=https://icelandmag.is/article/icelandic-skyr-now-makes-2-us-yogurt-market|access-date=26 February 2019|website=Icelandmag|publisher=Fréttablaðið|language=en}}</ref> Efforts at marketing it outside of Iceland began in 2005 when it was exported to the U.S. and sold at the natural-foods market Whole Foods Market.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|year=2006|title=Ársskýrla Auðhumlu 2006|url=https://www.audhumla.is/media/1/arsskyrslaMS2006.pdf|page=13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=2005-08-26|title=Sigurför skyrsins|url=https://timarit.is/page/3672012?iabr=on#page/n7/mode/2up|publisher=Morgunblaðið|page=8}}</ref> Licensed production began the next year in Denmark and Scotland.<ref name=":0" /> Mjólkursamsalan (the major dairy cooperative in Iceland) and its associates registered "skyr" as a trademark in some countries, but this was later ruled to be invalid, as "skyr" was found to be a generic term like "milk".<ref>{{Cite web|title=MS missir spón úr aski sínum: Skyr er vörutegund en ekki vörumerki|url=https://stundin.is/grein/5287/|access-date=2021-01-14|website=Stundin|date=6 September 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-09-28|title=Arla lagði MS í deilu um skyr í Finnlandi|url=https://www.ruv.is/frett/arla-lagdi-ms-i-deilu-um-skyr-i-finnlandi|access-date=2021-01-14|website=RÚV|language=is}}</ref>
The commercial distribution of skyr outside of Iceland increased in the 2010s, with marketing as a low-sugar, no-fat, high-protein product consumed as a snack.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=2016-11-27|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|access-date=2021-01-14|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref> In 2012, 80% of exported Icelandic skyr went to Finland and 20% to the U.S.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Skyr selt erlendis fyrir 650 milljónir - Viðskiptablaðið|url=http://www.vb.is/frettir/skyr-i-vinnslu/75564/|access-date=2021-01-14|website=www.vb.is|language=en-us}}</ref> Numerous skyr parlors were opened in Finland in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Finnar óðir í ísey skyr: 25 barir opnaðir í landinu|url=https://hringbraut.frettabladid.is/frettir-pistlar/finnar-odir-i-isey-skyr-25-barir-opnadir-i-landinu/|access-date=2021-01-14|website=hringbraut.frettabladid.is}}</ref>
Skyr is also made in other countries.<ref name=pipers>{{cite web | title=Fen Farm, Natural Skyr Yoghurt | publisher=Pipers Farm| url=https://pipersfarm.com/products/natural-skyr-yoghurt | access-date=13 September 2024}} An example of non-Icelandic skyr, UK-made, must be sold as Icelandic-style, not Icelandic..</ref>
==See also== * Filmjölk – another Nordic cultured milk product * Viili – a cultured milk product from Finland
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
{{Commons category|Skyr}} {{Milk navbox}}
Category:Fermented dairy products Category:Icelandic cuisine