Yoghurt

Yoghurt is a central and essential ingredient of Turkish food. Turkey is where it was invented a very long time ago – the first references to ‘yogurt’ date from a thousand years ago. Since then, its use has spread all around the world. Turkish or Greek-style yoghurt, which you can find in large tubs in Middle Eastern food shops and even some supermarkets, can be made from sheep’s or goat’s milk, but most often from cow’s milk. It is thicker and creamier than the standard tub of plain yoghurt familiar from my French childhood (and the school cafeteria!). A symbol of Turkish gastronomy, yoghurt is associated with savoury dishes and is very often served with meals: in the form of a drink, hot sauce or cold dressing for a meat or pastry dish, or just as is in the form of a soup or meze, to quell the fire of a spice or just because it is good for the digestion ...