Yogurt Needn’t Be Sweet: Just Ask The Rest Of The World

Americans are used to eating sweet yogurt, larded with fruit, sugar, or even candy. Mintel reports that seven of the top ten yogurts and yogurt drinks launched between 2010 and 2014 were fruit flavored, while the rest were plain, vanilla or honey. But a large part of the world eats savory, garlicky and even spicy versions of yogurt, using them as sauces, dips and other cooking ingredients. Food writer Cheryl Sternman Rule says the U.S. is slowly waking up to the versatility of yogurt, thanks to immigrants from Israel and the Middle East, Africa, the Mediterranean, and South Asia. For example, two shops in New York City sell shallot yogurt and a lightly salted yogurt in original and tangy flavors. It’s not surprising: the owners of the shops are from Iran and Lebanon.