Gloss Find: Siggi’s Icelandic-style skyr Yogurt

If what you’re thinking is I already have a favorite yogurt, you’ll want to read on… Made with Bourbon vanilla and agave, this creamy yogurt is like no other that I’ve ever tried before. Determined to figure out the secret to what makes this thick, creamy and surprisingly low-calorie yogurt so good on its own, I set out to do some research.

Skyr is the traditional yogurt of Iceland. It is produced by incubating skim milk with live active cultures. The whey, which is the water that naturally occurs in milk, is strained away so the yogurt is thicker, more concentrated and yes, tastes better.

To make just one cup of skyr , you need 3 – 4 times the amount of milk required to make a regular cup of yogurt. Because so much water is removed from the yogurt, skyr results in 2-3 times the protein count of the average mass-produced yogurt.

According to tales from the origina Norse Vikings, Icelanders have made skyr since the 9th century. The word skyr is probably derived from the Icelandic word skera, which means to cut or slice, which experts from Siggi’s suspect might be a reference to the ideal thickness.

Skyr was always, and is still, made from skim cow’s milk after the cream had been floated off to make butter. Which means? 120 calories per 6 ounce container. It’s so much richer, thicker and more satisfying than comparable low-calorie yogurts. If you like Greek yogurt, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by it’s Icelandic cousin.

Siggi’s Icelandic-style skyr yogurt, $1.99 per 6 ounces, www.skyr.com