Yogurt Taste Test

Yogurt.

I eat it probably 350 days a year, if not more.

A while back, with prompting from my wife, I transitioned from flavored to plain yogurt. More recently, again prompted by my wife, I moved from plain yogurt to Greek yogurt – namely a brand called Fage (pronounced, as it explains on the container, “Fa-yeh!”).

And then, last week, while shopping in Large Local Grocery Chain – only a different location of said Large Local Grocery Chain where we typically shop – in the section for frozen organic food and mostly organic dairy products, another type of yogurt grabbed my attention.

It was in a tall bottle, sort of like an old fashioned milk bottle. It was from grass-fed cows. It was produced in Indiana. It looked more like milk than yogurt. It was pretty freakin’ expensive. But I was intrigued. I had to try it.

Thus, I now present a taste review of three different types of yogurt and offer my opinion on which is the Yogurt of Utmost Mouthwateringness, commonly referred to as

the YUM.

Brown Cow/Stonyfield Farms plain yogurt:

Both are good, rBST-free yogurts. Neither could be described as outstanding. On their own, they could be boring. But they readily accept additions like fruit and granola, which is pretty much how I eat my yogurt everyday. Both are also excellent for cooking, e.g., to add to certain types of soups or for making a salad dressing.

Fage (2%) Greek Yogurt:

Also rBST-free. However, it is shipped from Greece, so not necessarily an environmentally friendly choice in that regard.

Texturally speaking, it’s thick, far more like sour cream than your typical yogurt. It’s also slightly sour, like sour cream. But, man, this stuff is satisfying. It has complexity, because it has more than just a yogurty flavor. Also, it engulfs anything you mix into it, taking on its favor while also enhancing it. And it’s got substance. Half cup of this stuff with some fruit and something crunchy and you know without a doubt that you just had a meal. In short: addictive.

Traders Point Whole Milk Yogurt:

Grass-fed, organic, rBST-free. In terms of consistency, closer to heavy cream than standard yogurt. On day one, I wasn’t that impressed. Tasted more like milk than yogurt, and, truth be told, I have never been a fan of milk on its own. Even some impressively plump blueberries and delectable peaches didn’t seem to add much to the flavor. The fruit and yogurt just didn’t seem to get along. On day two, I liked it more. The consistency was less bothersome; felt like I was eating a yogurt soup. Day three added fruit and granola and, again, liked it a little more. However, definitely not filling and, while enjoyable, there’s nothing about it that makes me want to spend nearly $6 a bottle on it.

JUDGEMENT [imagine drum roll here]:

To quote King Julian (from the children’s movie Madagascar, of course):

After much deep and profound brain-type things inside my head, I hereby declare that Fage

is indeed the YUM.

Long live Fage (until my next yogurt discovery, that is!).