Greek Yogurt

The defining thing about genuine Greek yogurt is not a recipe or a starter culture, it is a process: straining ordinary yogurt through cloth or a fine sieve to remove much of its whey, which concentrates the remaining milk solids into something thick enough to hold a spoon standing upright. A great deal of what is sold as Greek-style yogurt outside Greece thickens the product with starch or gums instead, which is a genuinely different thing from straining.

Traditionally made from sheep or goat milk rather than cow's milk, it carries a tanginess and richness that cow's milk yogurt, even strained, does not fully replicate, though cow's milk versions are now the more widely available option both inside and outside Greece.

It is central to tzatziki, obviously, but its savoury uses go well beyond that single dip: it appears as a marinade base for grilled chicken and lamb, worked into some cake batters for moisture, and, in its simplest form, served with a generous drizzle of honey and a scatter of walnuts as an everyday breakfast or light dessert.