A Grocery Discovery: Siggi's Yogurt

As a child, my mother thought yogurt was the most romantic treat in creation. Apparently, this image stems from a 1950 commercial depicting a young girl frolicking in the Swiss Alps with a herd of cows and spooning up whole milk yogurt in the sun. Dannon simply doesn't evoke this kind of elation.

But, this weekend I introduced her to a new gem I discovered :
Siggi's Icelandic Style Skyr Yogurt.

Scooping the dense, perfectly white yogurt into her mouth, I believe her exact words were "I feel so romantic!" Go figure.

Siggi's its homemade and extra thick, despite being totally non-fat. The texture is reminiscent of a high-quality ice cream-- smooth and rich. To make his Icelandic yogurt, Siggi takes fresh cows milk, skims the fat to make butter, and strains the milk of excess water. This process requires three times more milk than a regular cup of yogurt and produces a serving that is packed with 16 grams of protein vs. a typical 5-8 grams.
Siggi's yogurt is sweetened with Agave syrup, a low-gylcemic sweetener that comes from core of the Mexican plant by the same name. Siggi would never use anything artificial, "I shudder at the mere thought" he says.

Looking at his website, I can't help picture Siggi watching over every single batch of this precious yogurt. He started making this treat when he grew heart sick for his homeland. "[In Iceland] skyr is as traditional as apple pie in the United States."

I suggest trying the Pomegranate Passion Fruit flavor. I've never tasted anything so evocative of those fruits without actually biting into one!

Want to try making your own yogurt? Check this out!