Greek yogurt has became an over night phenomenon in the United States. It is seen everywhere in newspapers, articles and ad’s on television. Health advisers are saying it is good for consumers, and sales in yogurt have sky rocketed thanks to this delicious treat. It is hard to believe that this well kept Greek Secret didn’t come to the U. S. until 1998. That is when a Greek based company named Fage introduced it in New York City.
Fage may have been the first company to bring Greek yogurt to America but, Chobani started the Greek yogurt “boom”. [ E. J. Schultz, “Strong Consumer Demand Pushes Greek Yogurt into a Dairy-Aisle Battlefield. Advertising Age 82, no. 11 (Mar 14, 2011): 8. Accessed November 10, 2015. http:// search. proquest. com/docview/857432679? accountid=10358. ] What is Greek yogurt, what started the Greek yogurt craze in the US, and why has it remained so popular? History of Greek Yogurt Most historians can agree that yogurt can be dated back to 6,000 B. C. in Central Asia. It is thought that the creation of yogurt was by accident. Herdsman started to milk their animals, and then they would carry the milk in devices made from the stomach of an animal. The natural enzymes of the stomach broke down and curdled the milk creating yogurt.
When this happened they discovered the milk would last longer, and people seemed to prefer the taste. [ Dairy Goodness. “The History of Yougurt. ” Dairy Goodness, Accessed November 20, 2015, https://www. dairygoodness. ca/yogurt/the-history-ofyogurt] Greeks have been using yogurt as apart of their diet for centuries. They cultivated their own technique by straining out the whey, creating what is popularly known as Greek yogurt. This type of yogurt is found everywhere in Greece, but did not become available on the market until a company named Fage began to manufacture it.
Other Greek companies also began manufacturing this yogurt. Fage took it up a notch when it brought Greek yogurt to a national level. Greek yogurt has been around for centuries, and has been traditional treat used in many recipes in Greek cooking and Gastronomy. Greek yogurt is made by straining out whey and water from traditional yogurt and what is left is a thick consistence with a somewhat tart flavor. Greek yogurt is often paired with honey or fruit for a sweet taste. [ Anastasios Baradakis, “Let Me Tell You about Real Greek Yogurt. ” Dairy Foods 113, no. 8 (08, 2012):98.
Accessed November 9, 2015. http://search. proquest. com/docview/1269079565? accountid=10358. ] It can also be paired with tomatoes for a more savory snack. Greek cuisine is built around two main ideas: the preparation of food should be simple and the ingredients should be pure and fresh. () For this reason, Greek food is considered to be one of the healthiest diets in the world. Consequently, Greek yogurt in naturally low in fat and high in protein. [ “FAGE #1 Yogurt in GreeceTM – All Natural Greek Strained Yogurt. ” FAGE USA. Accessed November 7, 2015. http:// usa. age. eu/] Greek yogurt, among other foods, are a part of the very popular Mediterranean diet.
Which, is all the rave in the U. S. What started the Greek yogurt craze in the U. S. after Fage first introduced in 1998? Fage gets the more national recognition for bringing Greek yogurt to America, however, little credit is attributed to the Likitsakos family who opened their market in 1988, selling home-made yogurt in the upper east side of New York. Then Fage and Chobani came on the scene as the national brands selling large scale amounts in the U. S. [ Fabricant, Florence. To Many Yogurt Fans, it’s all Greek. ” New York Times, Mar 20, 2013, Late Edition (East Coast). Accessed November 6, 2015. http://search. proquest. com/docview/ 1317820802? accountid=10358. ] According to Florence Fabricant of the New York Times, “Several marketing analysts, including Todd Hale, the senior vice president for consumer and shopper insights at Nielsen, a global research company, say Greek yogurt represents more than $2 billion of the $6 billion yogurt market. “(Fabricant,7). The Greek yogurt revolution, however, is attributed to Mr. Hamdi Ulukaya, the creator of Chobani.
Ulukaya was a native of Turkey, and was a cheese manufacturer in New York City when one day he came upon an advertisement for a yogurt-making plant. Ulukaya decided to buy the former Kraft factory and he later named the the yogurt brand Chobani which means “Shepherd” in Greek and Turkish. In 2007, Chobani hit the shelves, and the Greek yogurt craze began. [ Needleman, Sarah E. “Old Factory, Snap Decision Spawn Greek-Yogurt Craze. ” Wall Street Journal, Jun 21, 2012, Eastern edition. Accessed November 7, 2015. http://search. proquest. com/ docview/1021255339? accountid=10358. Although the American brands of Greek yogurt make a good yogurt, some would argue that it is not really authentic Greek yogurt. Olympus Dairy, a Greece based company, stated that “people don’t realize that the yogurt they are picking up on a daily basis is Greek-style yogurt, not actual Greek yogurt. “(Barkadakis, para 2).
Olympus Diary prides itself on making authentic Greek yogurt with all natural ingredients that they will now be selling in the US. [ Anastasios Baradakis, “Let Me Tell You about Real Greek Yogurt. ” Dairy Foods 113, no. 8 (08, 2012):98. Accessed November 9, 2015. http://search. proquest. om/docview/ 1269079565? accountid=10358. ] They are not the only company that want to sell Greek yogurt in the U. S. Native companies that were already in the yogurt industry quickly began to create their own brand of Greek yogurt. Companies like Dannon who have been in the yogurt business for over fifty years came out with the own brand of Greek yogurt which they named Dannon Oikos Greek. [ Schultz, E. J. “Dannon Goes Greek, Takes on (Former) Little Guy. ” Advertising Age 82, no. 34 (Sep 26, 2011): 22-n/a. Accessed November 10, 215. http://search. proquest. com/ docview/894752496? accountid=10358. A release from Research and Markets stated that “the demand for Greek yogurt in the US is so high because of their growing passion for healthy eating:”(Food and Beverage Close-up, para 5).
According to the report, a rise in health awareness and the health benefits of Greek yogurt are two of the main reasons that have led to product demand by customers. [ “Research and Markets Adds Report: Greek Yogurt Market in the US: Trends, Size, and Forecast 2015-2019. ” Food and Beverage Close – Up (Oct 28, 2015). Accessed November 8, 2015. http://search. proquest. com/ docview/1727561068? accountid=10358. It is easy to conclude that America is crazy for Greek yogurt, but what has made Greek yogurt so popular? Americans in recent years have noticed a rise in obesity, because of this there has begun a campaign for health awareness. When Greek yogurt was introduced as a healthier alternative to the already loved snack yogurt, Americans jumped on it.
Greek yogurt is low in sugar and high in protein. In recent years more research is being developed to figure out what the body needs to stay healthy and research has shown that protein is a huge benefit in our overall health. [ Steve M. Douglas, Laura C. Ortinau, Heather A. Hoertel, and Heather J. Leidy. “Low, Moderate, or High Protein Yogurt Snacks on Appetite Control and Subsequent Eating in Healthy Women. ” Appetite 60 (2013): 117-22. doi:doi:10. 1016/ j. appet. 2012. 09. 012. Accessed November 9, 2015. http:// www. sciencedirect. com/science/article/pii/S0195666312003832] “Greek yogurt has two times the protein as compared to regular yogurt,’ says Rob Post, senior director of nutrition and regulatory affairs for Chobani”(O’Neil, para 2). Many Americans have started to consume Greek yogurt instead of eggs for its protein value. It’s hard to believe that a dairy product could have more protein in it than eggs.
Protein is essential for the body it doesn’t only improve muscle strength but, it also helps in weight management. [ Carolyn O’Neil, “Greek Yogurt has Protein Power. ” The Atlanta Journal – Constitution, Jul 15, 2015. Accessed November 10, 2015. http://search. proquest. com/docview/ 1696135461? accountid=10358. ]A new brand of Greek yogurt was just recently launched and was specifically designed for athletes or people with an active lifestyle, the name of this highprotein Greek yogurt is Powerful yogurt. Powerful yogurt not only has high levels of protein but, it is also all natural, gluten free, kosher, and non-fat.
Making this a pretty amazing yogurt. [“Powerful Yogurt, the First Greek Yogurt Designed for Athletes, Joins IMG Performance as Official Greek Yogurt and Greek Yogurt Products Sponsor. ” Progressive Digital Media Food News, Dec 18, 2013. Accessed November 8, 2015. http:// search. proquest. com/docview/1547378643? accountid=10358. ] Greek yogurt has became so popular in the U. S. not only because it looks and tastes delicious, but also for all of its many health benefits. Plus you can eat it not only by itself but, it can also be used in cooking, and as a low fat substitute.
When Fage first brought the national awareness of Greek yogurt to the U. S. they could not have imagined the impact that they would have on a country. Along with the help of Chobani these two companies created the Greek yogurt craze in America. It is easy to ascertain why Americans are in love with Greek yogurt, and why the media cannot stop talking about it. For the past 5 years the media has paid special attention to this “wonder” product that not only can be eaten alone, but is now becoming part of recipes, and even as a substitute in American cooking.
According to Judy Hevrdejs is her article “Using Greek yogurt for cooking. ” Substituting Greek yogurt instead of more fatty products like sour cream can add more protein to the meal, while cutting fat and sodium. [ Judy Hevrdejs, “Using Greek Yogurt in Cooking. ” McClatchy – Tribune Business News, Jun 05, 2013. Accessed November 10, 2015. http://search. proquest. com/docview/ 1364686050? accountid=10358] The media will continue to pay close attention to Greek yogurt, as America continues its journey to a more health conscious future.