The first crop: Smári, Noosa and Fage
Smari was up first. It had an aggressive yogurty tang and no sweetness at all. It would pair nicely with sweet jam but I added honey. I'll keep this in mind for days when my tongue craves lactic acid.
Second was Noosa. Noosa is tangy and rich but not too sweet, and great for breakfast or lunch. I loved its thick texture and honey sweetness. It has a high fat content which stops it from being my daily choice.
Fage didn't impress me. It was very thick, tangy, and unsweetened, yet lacked the mouth feel of full fat yogurt. It mixed well with apricot and granola but I wouldn't eat it alone. I'll consider trying the 2% fat version, in part because Fage is easy to find.
And last came Ellenos. I was powerless to resist: sweet, creamy, not heavy, and there's a passion fruit flavor. Ellenos is delicious but with no yogurt tang it's like eating dessert. I tried eating it for breakfast and confused my brain and stomach no end.
 |
| Welcome to the Cult of Ellenos |
Conclusion: I'll keep looking for a daily yogurt. Now that I know yogurt and I get along I'll try brands available in large tubs. I've learned to keep an eye on the fat and sugar content. And I know the difference in flavor between different yogurt-making traditions.
Ellenos will remain my dessert or afternoon snack yogurt.
* I have a couple jars left from 2012's batch, back in healthier days.
You can try making your own, too. It isn't hard st all and I found it fun.. I got to choose what milk fat percentage to start with, and enjoyed the difference if made in the finished product. You can find easy info multiple places on the web. I liked to make it in small jars so it felt like what I was buying, made it feel like a special treat, not just a commodity. I only ever made plain do I could control what got added
ReplyDeleteEven better: my sweetie makes yogurt! All the benefits for me, none of the work :)
Delete