Hi, I'm Earl. Product Manager at Siggi’s Icelandic style skyr yogurt
As a child, I used to hate yogurt. My father would always push me to take a bite whenever he opened up a new cup of yogurt, but I, in my youthful stubbornness, would refuse. Yogurt felt weird and slimy—traits that delegated it to the group of other disgusting foods like tomatoes and oysters.
However, liking for certain foods and experiences are often an acquired taste, and over time, my receptiveness towards yogurt grew stronger. I began eating yogurt more ardently by convinced myself that I was doing my body a favor. After all, my father had always used health as a motivator for me to try yogurt. I even began to enjoy eating certain fruit-flavored “light” yogurts. Of course, these “light and healthy” yogurts were the kind that secretly contained an inordinate amount of sugar.
Five different kinds of bacteria were used to make this yogurt
Eventually, my tastes developed further, and I became a devout follower of strained, natural yogurts—often referred to as Greek yogurts, and to this day, I remain a strong advocate for Greek yogurt. Admittedly, I always add a drizzle of honey or agave nectar, but the combination of plain, unflavored Greek yogurt is still leagues ahead of sugary fruit-flavored ones.Siggi’s is a popular brand of Greek-style yogurt that is not actually Greek. Siggi’s packaging proudly proclaims the yogurt’s Icelandic heritage. In other words, this style of strained yogurt is called ‘skyr.’ Though dissimilar in name, skyr’s use of skim milk during production serves as the only difference between ordinary Greek yogurt and itself— both are strained and form as a result of lactic acid bacteria fermentation of milk. They even rely on the same species of bacteria for fermentation.
Regardless, Siggi’s yogurt usually costs more than other brands of strained yogurts and feels significantly different. Unlike Fage, Chobani, or other popular brands, Siggi’s strains their yogurt so much that the end result feels almost grainy and dry. Initially, I did not like the mouthfeel of Siggi’s; I preferred the viscous, creaminess of Fage, but Siggi’s has slowly become an acquired taste for me. While I still love the traditional, creamy Greek yogurts, Siggi’s extraordinary thickness has its place too. Ironically, the strained yogurt I make at home, normally ends up tasting and feeling like Siggi’s—most likely because I always make my yogurt using nonfat milk.
Notice the incredibly grainy texture of the parted yogurt
