by Eliza Hale

 

 

            The other day I came across this ancient haiku that perfectly captures my thoughts:

 

Oh frabjous mouthful

Heals the soul and fights sorrow

Sophia’s yogurt

 

Sophia’s Greek Yogurt is, hands down, the best around.  You do have to venture slightly outside the square to get it, but it is oh, so worth it.

 

If you don’t know the difference between ‘normal yogurt’ and Greek yogurt, don’t feel too bad about yourself.  You are probably a totally normal person who is not weirdly obsessed with yogurt.

 

 

Yogurt is made from milk that has been cultured by bacteria.  The milk is strained with a cloth to get rid of some of the liquid.  ‘Normal yogurt’ is strained twice, but Greek yogurt is strained three times so it has less liquid and whey than normal yogurt.  This makes Greek yogurt thicker, creamier, more flavorful, and higher in protein.

 

It’s just tasty.

 

 

A cool thing about Sophia’s Greek Yogurt is that it’s actually made by Sophia, and she is actually Greek.  She makes over 200 pounds of the yogurt each day in Sophia’s Greek Pantry in Belmont, MA.  Sophia makes the three-hour drive to fetch the sheeps’ milk and goats’ milk to make the yogurt.  She then strains the yogurt for days until it becomes the rich, creamy, thick, tart, pleasurable thing that it is.  Sophia’s yogurt is sold by weight.  Gold is also sold by weight.

 

It is delicious all on its own; it’s great with granola and honey; it’s really good with fruit, or fruit and nuts.  For breakfast this morning I had Sophia’s Greek Yogurt on top of challah-bread French toast with strawberry jam.  I don’t have a picture of this, which is better.  It would make you too sad.

 

 

You can, and you should, buy Sophia’s Greek Yogurt at Savenor’s Market on Kirkland Street.  It’s a 7-minute walk from the Science Center; just head towards William James Hall and keep going.

 

So you’re craving Greek Yogurt and can’t make the walk to Sophia’s.  You have some options:

 

 

Fage

 

This is my second favorite.  It’s almost as thick and creamy as Sophia’s.   You can buy it at 24-hour market, and sometimes at CVS.

 

 

Chobani

 

This stuff is everywhere: CVS, 24-hour market, and Cardullo’s all carry Chobani.  The person who started Chobani wanted to make Greek Yogurt more accessible to people.  I prefer other brands, but …

 

 

Dining Hall Greek Yogurt

It’s free, and you know, it’s not too bad.

 

 

Muller

Don’t do it.  It’s not good.  It’s not thick or tart.  Chew on your desk instead.

If you want to make sure you’re eating real Greek Yogurt, read the ingredients.  If it has gelatin or pectin then it’s imposter Greek Yogurt.  Pectin and gelatin will make yogurt thicker, but it won’t be as delicious or high in protein as real Greek Yogurt.