DAIRY PRODUCT
AUG 25, 2022
The True Origin Of Yogurt
As one of healthy food for human consumption, yogurt has a long origin and unique process to become what we know today.
Yogurt is a milk product that is heated and fermented with two types of bacteria, namely Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus.
The difference between milk and yogurt is that milk is the result of milking livestock, generally cows or goats. Even so, this drink, which is generally white in color, can also come from plants, such as soybeans or almonds. Meanwhile, yogurt is milk which is then fermented with added good bacteria.
FERMENTATION PROCESS
Yogurt is made through a fermentation process using lactic acid bacteria at a controlled temperature, adjusted to the optimum temperature for bacterial growth. Bacteria break down natural milk sugars and release lactic acid as a by-product.
These bacteria will trigger the fermentation process of milk, converting lactose in milk into lactic acid. Another effect of the fermentation process is the breakdown of proteins in milk which causes the milk to become thick. The end result is the milk will taste sour and thick, this is the basic form of yogurt that has been made.
Yogurt is a dairy product through a fermentation process. Processed milk is known for its sour taste. Because of its sour taste, many people have the wrong perception and think that yogurt is stale or expired milk.
ORIGIN
The word yogurt comes from the Turkish yoğurt taken from the adjective ‘yoğun’, which means “solid” and “thick”, or from the verb yoğurmak, which means “to massage” and possibly means “to make solid”.
Evidence suggests that cultured dairy products have been produced as food for at least 4,500 years, dating back to the 3rd century BC. Yogurt was originally probably spontaneously fermented by wild bacteria living in goatskin bags brought by the Bulgars, a nomadic people who began migrating to Europe in the 2nd century AD and finally settled in the Balkans in the late 7th century.
The theory that yogurt was used by the ancient Turks is based on the book Diwan Lughat al-Turk by Mahmud Kashgari and Kutadgu Bilig by Yusuf Has Hajib written in the 11th century.
In India, yogurt has long been used as a remedy for stomach aches. It is also mentioned that the people of the Middle East have been familiar with yogurt since 4,000 years ago.
From a Harvard School of Public Health publication, yogurt originated in countries in West Asia and the Middle East, and is an important part of the daily diet in many cultures.
Since the early 19th century the benefits of yogurt can be scientifically proven by Ilya Metchnikoff, a Russian scientist who works at the Pasteur Institute, Paris. Metchnikoff found that Bulgarians who have a habit of consuming yogurt (fermented milk) remain healthy in old age.
Since then, various studies on the benefits of fermented milk have continued to be researched. Metchnikoff himself was eventually awarded the Nobel Prize and since then fermented milk products have continued to be developed.
HEALTH BENEFIT
The advantage of yogurt compared to cow’s milk apart from its nutritional value is that it can be consumed by people who are allergic to cow’s milk or lactose intolerance. The addition of ingredients is usually done to increase the nutritional value of yogurt products.
In most countries, the product may be called yogurt only if live bacteria are present in the final product. Pasteurized products, which do not have live bacteria, are called fermented milk (drinks).
Pasteurized yogurt has a long life span and does not require a refrigerator. Yogurt is rich in protein, several B vitamins, and essential minerals. Yogurt has the same fat as the milk that it is made of.
Yogurt can be consumed by people who are allergic to milk because the lactose structure of yogurt has been damaged by bacteria. Yogurt is also rich in B vitamins.
related post