Yogurt (UK: /ˈjɒɡət/; US: /ˈjoʊɡərt/, from Turkish: yoğurmak) also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt, is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as yogurt cultures. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give yogurt its texture and characteristic tart flavor. Cow's milk is the milk most commonly used to make yogurt. Milk from water buffalo, goats, ewes, mares, camels, and yaks are also used to produce yogurt. The milk used may be homogenized or not. It may be pasteurized or raw. Each type of milk produces substantially different results.
Yogurt is produced using a culture of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus bacteria. In addition, other lactobacilli and bifidobacteria are sometimes added during or after culturing yogurt. Some countries require yogurt to contain a specific amount of colony-forming units (CFU) of bacteria; in China, for example, the requirement for the number of lactobacillus bacteria is at least 1 million CFU per milliliter.
To produce yogurt, milk is first heated, usually to about 185 °F, to denature the milk proteins so that they do not form curds. After heating, the milk is allowed to cool to about 113 °F. The bacterial culture is mixed in, and a warm temperature of 86-113 °F is maintained for 4 to 12 hours to allow fermentation to occur, with the higher temperatures working faster but risking a lumpy texture or whey separation.
The cuisine of ancient Greece included a dairy product known as oxygala which was a form of yogurt. Galen (AD 129 – c. 200/c. 216) mentioned that oxygala was consumed with honey, similar to the way thickened Greek yogurt is eaten today. The oldest writings mentioning yogurt are attributed to Pliny the Elder, who remarked that certain "barbarous nations" knew how "to thicken the milk into a substance with an agreeable acidity". The use of yogurt by medieval Turks is recorded in the books Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk by Mahmud Kashgari and Kutadgu Bilig by Yusuf Has Hajib written in the 11th century. Both texts mention the word "yogurt" in different sections and describe its use by nomadic Turks. The earliest yogurts were probably spontaneously fermented by wild bacteria in goat skin bags.
Until the 1900s, yogurt was a staple in diets of people in the Russian Empire (and especially Central Asia and the Caucasus), Western Asia, South Eastern Europe/Balkans, Central Europe, and the Indian subcontinent. Stamen Grigorov (1878–1945), a Bulgarian student of medicine in Geneva, first examined the microflora of the Bulgarian yogurt. In 1905, he described it as consisting of a spherical and a rod-like lactic acid-producing bacteria. In 1907, the rod-like bacterium was called Bacillus bulgaricus (now Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus). The Russian biologist and Nobel laureate Ilya Mechnikov, from the Institut Pasteur in Paris, was influenced by Grigorov's work and hypothesized that regular consumption of yogurt was responsible for the unusually long lifespans of Bulgarian peasants. Believing Lactobacillus to be essential for good health, Mechnikov worked to popularize yogurt as a foodstuff throughout Europe.
Yogurt was introduced to the United States in the first decade of the twentieth century, influenced by Élie Metchnikoff's The Prolongation of Life; Optimistic Studies (1908); it was available in tablet form for those with digestive intolerance and for home culturing. It was popularized by John Harvey Kellogg at the Battle Creek Sanitarium, where it was used both orally and in enemas, and later by Armenian immigrants Sarkis and Rose Colombosian, who started "Colombo and Sons Creamery" in Andover, Massachusetts, in 1929.
In 2017, the average American ate 13.7 pounds of yogurt. The average consumption of yogurt has been declining since 2014.
Because it may contain live cultures, yogurt is often associated with probiotics, which have been postulated as having positive effects on immune, cardiovascular or metabolic health.
As of the early 21st century, high-quality clinical evidence was insufficient to conclude that consuming yogurt lowers the risk of diseases or otherwise improves health. Meta-analyses found that consuming 80 grams per day of low-fat yogurt was associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes and a lower incidence of hip fracture in post-menopausal women. A 2021 review found a cause-and-effect relationship between yogurt consumption and improved lactose tolerance and digestion, and that potential associations exist between yogurt consumption and improving bone health, as well as lowering the risk of some diseases, including cancers and metabolic syndrome.
This is my favorite yogurt.... love the honey flavor, the plain flavor, and the strawberry flavor.... I have it with sliced banana.
Without a heavy sauce or cream, this easy mushroom pasta is the perfect healthy mushroom pasta recipe you've been looking for. Now, you can throw together an easy restaurant-fancy pasta dish in no time. Our recipe for Pasta with Mushrooms pairs stuffed tortellini pasta with a light sauce and mushrooms, for a perfect vegetarian pasta recipe that will still fill you up.
- 1 (9-ounce) package fresh cheese-filled tortellini
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, divided
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 Portobello mushroom caps (about 6 ounces), sliced
- 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, divided (see Tip)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain and return to pot.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add garlic, and saute 1 minute. Add mushrooms and saute 4 to 6 minutes, or until tender, stirring frequently.
- Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter, the Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon basil, and the pepper to skillet; mix well.
- Serve tortellini topped with sauteed mushrooms and sprinkled with remaining 1 tablespoon basil.
Each year on April 23rd, National Lost Dog Awareness Day increases awareness concerning missing dogs and celebrates reunions.
Through networks of shelters, veterinaries, social media, and other media sources, many lost canines and families reunite. The day is an opportunity to learn more about prevention and networking. There are also steps to take to prevent your family pet from going missing. Some of these preventative steps also help return Fido to you if he does go missing.
Preventative steps to take:
- Keep your dog secure. Whether on a leash or in a fenced yard, your dog is less likely to wander if it is secured.
- Training is valuable. Dogs who have been trained by a professional are less likely to go missing. Most importantly, they learn recall commands. Formal obedience training also offers owners valuable information that can lead to a better relationship between pet and owner.
- Always supervise your animal. Dogs, especially expensive purebreds, can be stolen even from a fenced yard.
- Tags and microchipping help with the recovery of a missing animal. These steps must be completed when you first receive your new family member. While tags are an inexpensive way to protect your pet, dogs can slip a collar. Many pet adoption sites will hold microchipping events for a fraction of the cost. The price is coming down all the time, too. It is essential to keep the information on the microchip or tag up to date also. It is only as useful as the information listed on the chip in helping recover your pet.
- Spaying and neutering reduce your pet’s likelihood of wandering off in search of a mate. Additionally, it eliminates the chances of unwanted offspring should your dog wander off unexpectedly.
- Keep records up to date on your animals. That includes photos, vaccinations, and those valuable tags and microchips, too.
Taking action if your pet goes missing:
- Contact your local shelters and vets. Please provide them with current information regarding your dog, including a color photograph.
- Walk your neighborhood. Let your neighbors know as you search. Enlist their help, too.
- Post notices in neighborhood grocery stores, gas stations, and coffee shops. Go to social media and post your pet’s info in local community forums.
- Check advertising websites. If your dog was stolen, you might recognize the description from the ad. Contact the police if you think your dog was stolen.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Take steps to protect your pet. Develop a plan.
NATIONAL LOST DOG AWARENESS DAY HISTORY
Lost Dogs Illinois and Lost Dogs Wisconsin directors Susan Taney and Kathy Pobloskie created National Lost Dog Awareness Day in 2014 to increase awareness and help prevent animals from going missing. They also promote celebrating reunions.
