Moscow
Food Co-op Food Reviewby Eva Strand, from the June 1999 Newsletter
In recognition
of June as National Dairy Month, I found it suitable to compare tastes of the
various brands of yogurt available at the Co-op. I picked the strawberry flavor
of six brands and sat down with my kids and six spoons at the kitchen table
on a very cold and snowy Mothers Day.
Brown Cow Farm makes a deliciously creamy yogurt from organically-produced whole milk and unrefined sweeteners such as maple syrup, honey and fruit juice. Organic yogurt implies that the cows are grazed exclusively on unsprayed pasture and are only fed organically-grown grain without hormones or antibiotics. The milk is pasteurized but not homogenized, so some of the milk fat floats to the top of the container and forms a thick cream layer. Brown Cow Farm is a small, family-owned business located in California and, according to me and my family, they are doing a wonderful job! This is not the first spoon of Brown Cow yogurt I have eaten—we have been Brown Cow fans for a long time. Brown Cow comes in many many flavors like Maple, Vanilla, Lemon, Blueberry, Peach, and Plain. Non-fat Brown Cow is also available in numerous yummy flavors.
Yogurt number two turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Redwood Hill Farm, also from California, makes a mild, creamy and 'just right' sweet yogurt from non-homogenized, but pasteurized, whole goat's milk. This yogurt got the thumbs up from everybody around our table. I especially liked this yogurt because it was less sweet than any flavored yogurt I have ever tasted; the creaminess was also super. The unflavored varieties of both Brown Cow and Redwood Hill Farms are awesome in yogurt dishes such as Indian Yogurt Raita (yogurt mixed with grated squeezed cucumber, sesame oil, lime juice, cumin and other spices) and Greek Tsatsiki (yogurt with grated squeezed cucumber flavored with garlic, salt and black pepper).
Stonyfield Farms in New Hampshire makes an organic low-fat and non-fat yogurt with a naturally fruity flavor and satisfying creamy consistency, in spite of its low-fat status. The fruit yogurts are quite sweet with chunks of berries or fruits. Surely kid approved!
Horizon Organic Dairy in Boulder Colorado makes a yogurt similar to Stonyfield Farms. Sweet, with chunky fruit and smooth consistency, even though non-fat. No pesticides, hormones or antibiotics are used in the milk, flavorings or sweeteners—quite impressive. Kid and adult approved.
The next two yogurts are soy-based and dairy-free and snuck in the back door during National Dairy month. White Wave Silk Dairyless Soy yogurt from Boulder, Co, turned out to be the favorite for one of my children. Anna liked it more than any of the dairy yogurts—she liked this yogurt so much she finished the cup before everybody got a taste! I have orders to buy a whole bunch of Silk yogurt as soon as the Co-op doors open tomorrow. I liked it too, but noticed the faint aftertaste that often distinguishes a soy product from a dairy product. Silk yogurt is made from organically produced soy beans and flavorings.
Nancy's Cultured Soy Yogurt, made in Eugene, Oregon, was less popular among the kids and was compared to 'cold apple sauce' in taste. I would pick the Silk brand rather than Nancy's when looking for a non-dairy yogurt. Nothing against Nancy's—I love her low fat and non-fat plain dairy yogurts in large reusable and recyclable containers. And the honey yogurt from Nancy's is quite a treat!
I truly appreciate the efforts by these producers to provide wholesome, unadulterated, hormone, antibiotic and pesticide-free products. Thanks Co-op for carrying these yogurts along with so many other 'real foods'.
Read an additional Co-op yogurt review
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