[/caption]This is loosely known as yogurt in the west; but throughout the Mediterranean, especially during my childhood, yogurt was made from whole milk, in a consistency of what we now know as Greek yogurt: thick, full bodied, and full of flavor. The yogurt that is now ubiquitous on grocery store shelves is typically full of sugar or jam, fat free, frequently sugar free, and sadly, not nearly as delicious as the "lait caille" of my childhood. Lait caille means fermented milk, or curdled milk, and is nothing more than yogurt. It is delicious, and better yet, a lavish source of beneficial intestinal bacteria and calcium.
As is so often the case in developing countries, many uses have been found for yogurt. In Greece, they make Dzadziki, which is a salad of chopped or sliced cucumbers and minced garlic, mixed into the yogurt; in Egypt, they top the yogurt with fried onions; in India, they make curried yogurt; and in Iran, they serve rice topped with cooked lentils, topped with a dollup of yogurt. All delicious and quite nutritious fare.
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