Siggi's Skyr

When I was in Boston last summer, I bought some of the skyr that is being made by Siggi here in the U.S., mostly because I had heard about it on RUV in Iceland and was excited to see it at a grocery store in Boston.

A few weeks ago I saw that it is now also for sale here in California, at Whole Foods markets. Then a colleague of mine in the Scandinavian department told me he had bought some. So it seems Siggi's business is doing well.

Unfortunately, my colleague, like myself and this reviewer, did not like "Siggi's yogurt". He looked at me wided-eyed and asked me if Icelanders really eat that. He is a terribly polite young man, so he choose his words carefully. I knew what he meant though.

I said to him that in Iceland, skyr is mixed with milk, so that the texture becomes both smoother and thinner. I also told him that my grandmother always sprinkled plenty of sugar on top. We both then wondered why in the world Siggi could not be kind enough to at least let his customers know that this is an option. There is room on the packaging to just have a short sentence saying, "a traditional food in Iceland, naturally non-fat and protein rich. Icelandic grandmas serve it with a few tablespoons of whole milk and a teaspoon of sugar. Siggi prefers just a touch of fruit."

Then everyone who takes a bite would know that Siggi clearly has the taste buds of a squirrel, but that Icelandic grandmas know what human food should taste like.  

Or he could just say, "Best served mixed with 1/4 cup milk", and be honest about it.

My point is, American consumers need to be told how to eat skyr. You have to tell them it is not like other yogurt, ready to eat straight out of the carton.

Comments

Anonymous said…
no, no, NOOOO! best eaten with a huge splash of fresh cream and preferably some wild blueberries and crowberries plus quite a bit of sugar! (milk does work, though). Having this tomorrow after picking the berries today, can't wait :)

I remember the thick skyr from when I was a kid, really not blended with milk or anything at all, you had to add a lot of thinner and sugar to it to be edible. They said that it used to be sent to England as help to needy families after the 2nd World War - and quite a few of those cut it into slices and tried to pan-fry it...
Lissy said…
Oh of course! Cream! That would be even better. Poor English, trying to fry skyr, wonder how that turned out! But yes, milk or cream, either way, the point is, skyr is not to be eaten without mellowing it out a little bit with something a tad less exotic tasting. Siggi makes it worse by adding weird flavor combinations like apricot ginger--sounds intriguing so people buy it, but then they don't buy it again after they have eaten it.

I of course am the exception, since I know how skyr needs to be prepared.
Jon said…
I hope my local coop is able to get some here in the middle of nowhere. At least I will know better how to eat it!
Knute Rife said…
Count me in on the "cream and fruit" crew, although I'm not a sugar fan in general.
Lissy said…
With you there Knut, there is no need to overload our bodies with concentrated sugar. But naturally occurring sugar in milk and fruit is easily digested by our bodies.
I stumbled upon your blog and am all the happier for it! I just bought some Siggi's, and am sorry to say that I must have the taste buds of a squirrel as well, because I didn't find it offensive. I come from a Mediterranean yogurt-eating culture, but guess it's a different kind! :)
Fourmares said…
I like Siggi's right out of the container, but I do recall my Icelandic Grandfather adding sugar to yogurt... I may have to add cream and sugar the next time I get some Siggi's.

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