Yogurt

Health-giving yogurt is one of the oldest foods. The well-known tale of its invention goes like this: A desert nomad carried milk in his goatskin canteen. During his journey, heat and bacteria (lactobacillus) transformed the milk into yogurt. Taking a chance, the nomad drank it and was astonished to find it creamy and pleasantly sour. Having survived the experiment, he shared the discovery.

Whatever the real origin, yogurt is mentioned in records of ancient civilizations from India to Iran; by 500 bce, holy men on the subcontinent had labeled the delicious mixture of yogurt and honey “the food of the gods.” It reached western Europe in the 16th century. The first American yogurt company was established in 1931 in Massachusetts by the Armenian Colombosians family, whose Colombo yogurt is still on the market.