About our yoghurt
Feeling cultured?
So, why do we use a terracotta pot?
Its low thermal conductivity supports the fermentation temperature, optimising the process and absorbing the water which then evaporates. The result is our characteristically thick set yoghurt. Perhaps most importantly of all, terracotta is historically the material favoured and used by our ancestral shepherds; who are we to interfere with an age-old, trusted method?
Why shepherds’ yoghurt?
Generations of shepherds and their families in the mountains of central Greece made this very yoghurt from the milk of their sheep herds. This is a food derived from family traditions, expertise, and necessity. We hope not only to carry on their craft, but also to pay homage to them throughout the process. See 'about us' for further information.
The gorgeous layer on top
Somewhat similar to the crusty topping of clotted cream, this delicious, thick film is essentially a creamy butterfat surface. As the yoghurt ferments in the warmth, the tangier whey falls to the bottom of the pot while the sweeter fat rises to the top. After the heating process, the yoghurt continues to ferment as it cools during which the whey and butterfat combine. The end result is the perfectly balanced, bittersweet, creamy phenomenon so characteristic of the Greek mountains.
What makes this yoghurt healthier than others?
One of the keys to this question lies in setting the yoghurt rather than straining it. By letting our yoghurt set, it retains all the naturally occurring whey, the element usually strained from other yoghurts. As the whey is where most of the goodness is stored, our yoghurt optimises this property, making the very most of all its positive health benefits.
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Other keys lie in its nutritional profile: it is higher in all the good fats, protein, vitamins and minerals than cows’ milk yoghurt. Additionally, for those of us like my husband, the undeniable pleasure of cows milk cannot be enjoyed due to digestive issues. Being more easily digestible, our yoghurt offers a delicious alternative to cows' milk products.
Higher in good fats
There are good fats and bad fats, and sheep milk is full of the good fats which not only help lower bad cholesterol, but that are also good for the heart. Furthermore, they help our bodies to digest vitamins and minerals. Sheep milk contains twice as much fat as cows' milk, substantially increasing its benefits when turned into yoghurt.
Higher in protein
It’s whey better! The proteins in milk mainly consist of casein and whey. Sheep milk yoghurt contains double the amount of protein compared to cows’ milk yoghurt. Sheep yoghurt whey contains all 9 of the essential amino acids required for muscle growth and repair as well as immunoglobulins and other compounds which boost our immune system. Plus, the proteins and live cultures present in our yoghurt are those which are generally digestible by those of us usually intolerant to cows’ milk products.
Higher in vitamins and minerals
Sheep milk is generally a good source of vitamins A, B, D and E, and minerals like calcium, phosphorus, zinc and iodine. Our yoghurt particularly, is a good source of calcium and phosphorus, and is high in iodine. Iodine is good for the brain, metabolism, skin, nervous system, and normal thyroid function.
A little note on seasonality…
In much of the Western world, supermarkets have ensured for many years that we have forgotten almost everything we would once have known, and should still know, about the food we eat. Many seasonal items should not be available to us all year round. If you can find strawberries or tomatoes in your supermarket in the winter, then consider changing supermarkets. Better still, see whether you can avoid using them at all. Similarly, if you ask someone in a supermarket which particular farmer the meat is from, or who caught the fish, and they don’t know the answer- consider whether this is really the place for you. I personally try my best to avoid supermarkets. Instead, I am to ensure that all our food comes from small local food businesses. When this is impractical or unachievable, I support small food businesses generally. It is often no more expensive, like for like. And yes, we do import some food: olives and olive oil we import from Greece from small food businesses there. Therefore, I do everything I can to ensure that everything I buy and make is as natural and unadulterated as possible whilst also ensuring I have supported the farmer or producer rather than a supermarket.
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If you’re interested in discovering more about how our relationship with food has changed over the years and of how important having a relationship with food is, I cannot recommend enough Michael Pollan’s Cooked series from 2017- it’s just brilliant. I have also written much about how consumers respect food as part of my academic research that you can find here.
Just to say therefore,
…Throughout the year as winter milk from Wiltshire is exchanged for summer milk from Wales, and back again… the flavour, protein and fat content of our yoghurt will change.
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…As the sheep lactation process goes through its natural changes… the flavour, protein and fat content of our yoghurt will change.
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…As the diet of the sheep changes throughout the seasons in terms of what they will feed and forage on… you guessed correctly… the flavour, protein and fat content of our yoghurt will change.
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And these changes are a good thing! These are natural changes in the milk. And they are why our yoghurt is so unique!