Icelandic skyr has grown in popularity in recent years, taking over supermarket shelves in Europe and North America. According to one estimate, skyr now makes up full 2% of the American yogurt market. But what exactly is this thing, and why is it so popular?
Skyr is a traditional Icelandic dairy product. Skyr-making dates all the way back to the Viking settlement in the 9th century. Ever since then it has served as a crucial component of the dairy-rich Icelandic diet.
While skyr resembles yogurt and is consumed much like yogurt, it is actually a type of cheese, made from the fat-free skim milk. Fat-free and rich in protein, skyr has been held up as a “super-food.”
The milk is warmed with live cultures from previous skyr batches and strained from the whey after it has thickened. Traditional unflavored skyr is very thick and has a distinctive sour dairy flavor, with a hint of sweetness. You can get traditional unflavored skyr at the Reykjavík flea market Kolaportið or farm stores like Erpsstaðir dairy farm in West Iceland.
Read more: Eat your fill of traditional skyr, learn everything about the ancient tradition at the Skyr Center
Traditionally skyr was consumed with cream or milk and topped with sugar or freshly picked wild berries to balance the sour taste. Nowadays skyr is usually sold ready flavored (there are countless flavors available, including vanilla and blueberries, baked apples or even licorice). Skyr is also increasingly used as a key ingredient for ice cream and cheese-cakes.
Icelandic skyr has grown in popularity in recent years, taking over supermarket shelves in Europe and North America. According to one estimate, skyr now makes up full 2% of the American yogurt market. But what exactly is this thing, and why is it so popular?
Skyr is a traditional Icelandic dairy product. Skyr-making dates all the way back to the Viking settlement in the 9th century. Ever since then it has served as a crucial component of the dairy-rich Icelandic diet.
While skyr resembles yogurt and is consumed much like yogurt, it is actually a type of cheese, made from the fat-free skim milk. Fat-free and rich in protein, skyr has been held up as a “super-food.”
The milk is warmed with live cultures from previous skyr batches and strained from the whey after it has thickened. Traditional unflavored skyr is very thick and has a distinctive sour dairy flavor, with a hint of sweetness. You can get traditional unflavored skyr at the Reykjavík flea market Kolaportið or farm stores like Erpsstaðir dairy farm in West Iceland.
Read more: Eat your fill of traditional skyr, learn everything about the ancient tradition at the Skyr Center
Traditionally skyr was consumed with cream or milk and topped with sugar or freshly picked wild berries to balance the sour taste. Nowadays skyr is usually sold ready flavored (there are countless flavors available, including vanilla and blueberries, baked apples or even licorice). Skyr is also increasingly used as a key ingredient for ice cream and cheese-cakes.
