The Story of Yogurt

The word yogurt comes from jaghurat—from central Asian Sogdian, a branch language of old Persian. Jaghurat is still used in parts of Iran to refer to yogurt, but more commonly it is called mast. In Armenia it is called madzoon or matsun; in Azerbaijan and Georgia, matsuni. In Arabia it is called laban; in India, dahi. Yogurt was probably introduced to Western Europe in the sixteenth century from Turkey, where it is pronounced jo’urt.

In 1920, the Armenian Colombosians family founded the first yogurt company in Massachusetts and called it Colombo. Although in America yogurt is considered a new product, it is one of the older foods known to mankind. Regional records of ancient civilizations from Egypt to Iran refer to the healthful properties of yogurt. Yogurt was probably discovered accidentally by a nomad long before people could write about it.