Three types of yogurt, analyzed by nutritionists!

In recent years, yogurt has become more and more popular. Not only is it delicious, but it can also serve as a source of good bacteria and high-quality protein. Therefore, those who are prone to indigestion, need to manage their body shape, are lactose intolerant but want to supplement dairy products will choose yogurt as a dietary option.

However, have you ever wondered why some yogurts are like puddings, with obvious cross-sections when you dig into them? Some yogurts are like milkshakes, thick and fluid? Some are even like ice cream, with a very thick and dense texture?

In fact, depending on the way yogurt is made, it can be divided into solidified yogurt, stirred yogurt, and Greek yogurt.

● Solidified yogurt

After adding the fermentation substrate to the bacteria, fermentation is carried out directly in the container. The fermented yogurt has a texture very similar to pudding, and there will be obvious cross-sections when scooped up with a spoon. This is solidified yogurt.

But it is easier said than done. Developing solidified yogurt is more challenging than mixing yogurt because of two major difficulties: taste and appearance.

1. Fermentation after seasoning, the flavor is easy to change

The fermentation matrix can only be milk, which is also the simplest and most conservative method. As long as the production process is not contaminated by foreign bacteria, it will basically taste good no matter how it is made (of course, the taste and texture will be different if different strains are used for fermentation, but I will not go into details here).

However, if you want to develop special flavors, the flavor is not so easy to get right. For example, add brown sugar, honey and other ingredients to milk, and then ferment with bacteria after the mixture is complete. During the fermentation process, the nutrients in the ingredients will affect the growth of bacteria, which may accelerate coagulation, produce more acid or other situations. Therefore, the final taste of the fermented product has a high chance of being off.

Therefore, in order to make solidified yogurt with flavoring and additives, it is necessary to go through multiple tests to find the solidified yogurt with the most appropriate flavor, otherwise it will be difficult to get it right in one go.

2. Appearance is the key to success, holes and damage are all NG

When injecting the fermentation matrix and bacteria into the container, if the filling speed is not controlled well, bubbles will appear on the surface. In addition, during the fermentation process, if the bacteria produce gas, it will also cause many small holes in the yogurt, which will make the appearance of the yogurt become bumpy and uneven.

When the yogurt is transported and stored later, if it encounters strong collisions and squeezing during the process, it will cause the yogurt to break. That’s why I said that it would be difficult to maintain the integrity of the appearance of commercially available solidified yogurt. When it is fermented, it is done. You can’t add ingredients to it or stir it for cosmetic surgery at will.

As long as the solidified yogurt is filtered and centrifuged to remove some of the whey, Greek yogurt can be obtained. Therefore, Greek yogurt is like an "extended and evolved version" of solidified yogurt.

● Stirred yogurt

After the milk is inoculated with bacteria and fermented, it is seasoned, mixed and homogenized to make the yogurt like a milkshake, with a fine texture and fluidity. This is stirred yogurt.

Since seasoning is added after fermentation is complete, the bacteria will not have much time to react with the seasoning, so adding jam at this time can not only retain its original flavor, but also make the yogurt more sweet and sour.

On the other hand, because blended yogurt goes through the “homogenization” process, minor flaws in the yogurt’s appearance (e.g. small holes, cracks) can be simply blended to restore it to a silky, smooth appearance. Therefore, there is no need to worry about consumers having a bad impression.

● Greek yogurt

As long as the solidified yogurt is filtered and centrifuged to remove some of the whey, Greek yogurt can be obtained. Therefore, Greek yogurt is like an "extended and evolved version" of solidified yogurt.

Comparing the same weight of set yogurt and Greek yogurt, you will find that set yogurt has more whey and tastes moister, while Greek yogurt has some whey removed, so the texture is firmer, as dense and rich as ice cream just taken out of the refrigerator, and the protein content is also higher.

The above is a classification based on the yogurt’s making. When you buy yogurt in the future, you might as well observe which category the yogurt you bought belongs to.