How Icelandic Yogurt Invaded America(priceonomics.com)
priceonomics.com
How Icelandic Yogurt Invaded America
http://priceonomics.com/how-icelandic-yogurt-invaded-america/
12 comments
This article is marketing for a yogurt company disguised as journalistic content, not an analysis of how new foods are introduced to America.
Yeah kind of lame. It's an article by CircleUp, which is where this yoghurt company raised their capital. Founder/funder articles are nice to read if they're insightful, but this is just marketing fluff. I mean hell it doesn't just take the story, but even the picture right from the company's marketing page.
Biggest insights are: Whole Foods essentially committed to a buy-in before they had the product, they took an Icelandic recipe, used 'mystery machines' about which they can't say anything because it's IP, and some more stuff on how Whole Foods is nicer than everyone else, that's as deep as it gets.
If this was Show HN: Contentmarketing done right, I would appreciate it more :)
Biggest insights are: Whole Foods essentially committed to a buy-in before they had the product, they took an Icelandic recipe, used 'mystery machines' about which they can't say anything because it's IP, and some more stuff on how Whole Foods is nicer than everyone else, that's as deep as it gets.
If this was Show HN: Contentmarketing done right, I would appreciate it more :)
But it's a different kind of yogurt! I might have died never even knowing such a yogurt (or is it a quark?) could exist were it not for this article... or what quark is.
This is something I wrote about it a while ago: https://medium.com/@simon/the-not-so-brave-yogurt-of-iceland...
I still don't like that the first impression a consumer has is that the yogurt is made with milk from Icelandic cows, while in reality it's American cows.
I still don't like that the first impression a consumer has is that the yogurt is made with milk from Icelandic cows, while in reality it's American cows.
I understand your point of view. This, as you well know, is not a isolated incident. Let's take say: Italian Bicycles (since you wrote about Italian Food). Flamboyant owners[0], Italian names[1], and a history of inventive technologies[2], in a bicycle-crazy country.
These days, they're almost all made in Asia[3]. we'd like to think there's a small workshop where there cranked out by hand by craftsman, but that's rare these days - almost mythological [4].
The marketing then yes, is trying to sell you on the dream, or "legacy". But it's all smoke and mirrors. We're all pretty intelligent to understand this, but we want to believe, and we allow ourselves that suspension of belief. That's what the marketing is selling you, and that's what you're buying. You can't scale up Icelandic yogurt from Iceland, to sell to the masses of a country that's many times larger.
[0] http://www.prologuecycling.com/interview-mario-cipollini-cip...
[1] http://cinelli.it
[2] http://www.campyonly.com/history.html
[3] http://italiancyclingjournal.blogspot.com/2010/03/making-of-...
[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hjCwav452s
These days, they're almost all made in Asia[3]. we'd like to think there's a small workshop where there cranked out by hand by craftsman, but that's rare these days - almost mythological [4].
The marketing then yes, is trying to sell you on the dream, or "legacy". But it's all smoke and mirrors. We're all pretty intelligent to understand this, but we want to believe, and we allow ourselves that suspension of belief. That's what the marketing is selling you, and that's what you're buying. You can't scale up Icelandic yogurt from Iceland, to sell to the masses of a country that's many times larger.
[0] http://www.prologuecycling.com/interview-mario-cipollini-cip...
[1] http://cinelli.it
[2] http://www.campyonly.com/history.html
[3] http://italiancyclingjournal.blogspot.com/2010/03/making-of-...
[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hjCwav452s
you can still get hand made italian bicycle frames. you just have to know what you're looking for; it's actually not even that hard [0]
[0] http://www.pelizzoliworld.com/products/leggenda-for3/
[0] http://www.pelizzoliworld.com/products/leggenda-for3/
I know you can.
The point is that it's fantasy to think we can ALL reasonably buy an Italian bicycle, right now, even though demand may be great.
So instead we believe the myth of the Italian Bicycle For All by buying one with an Italian name, and perhaps with a sticker that says, "Fatto in Italia". The large Italian bicycle manufacturers may eve want to produce an all-Italian bike, but they can't - perhaps the technology they need isn't in their possession, or the techniques needed don't work scale well
It could even be a really good bicycle! But part of what I'm buying into is the myth that it's a really good, Italian Bicycle. For some reason, this is important to us humans, and we'll pay a premium even though the bicycle is made in the same factory, by the same workers as a bicycle that has labels from a domestic company.
So this, "Icelandic Yogurt" is just more marketable then calling it, "Icelandic-style Yogurt".
It's not a rare thing. Look in the ice cream isle for "Ice Cream", as well as "Frozen Dairy Dessert"[0]. Which one sounds better to you?
[0] http://consumerist.com/2012/09/11/new-breyers-recipes-when-i...
The point is that it's fantasy to think we can ALL reasonably buy an Italian bicycle, right now, even though demand may be great.
So instead we believe the myth of the Italian Bicycle For All by buying one with an Italian name, and perhaps with a sticker that says, "Fatto in Italia". The large Italian bicycle manufacturers may eve want to produce an all-Italian bike, but they can't - perhaps the technology they need isn't in their possession, or the techniques needed don't work scale well
It could even be a really good bicycle! But part of what I'm buying into is the myth that it's a really good, Italian Bicycle. For some reason, this is important to us humans, and we'll pay a premium even though the bicycle is made in the same factory, by the same workers as a bicycle that has labels from a domestic company.
So this, "Icelandic Yogurt" is just more marketable then calling it, "Icelandic-style Yogurt".
It's not a rare thing. Look in the ice cream isle for "Ice Cream", as well as "Frozen Dairy Dessert"[0]. Which one sounds better to you?
[0] http://consumerist.com/2012/09/11/new-breyers-recipes-when-i...
I'm squarely in the other camp. I can't remember which brand, but I've seen a commercial that boasts that the milk for their swiss-style cheese is sourced from local cows in Switzerland. Which sounds crazy to me, since the whole idea behind local products is that they were not shipped halfway around the world.
Of course this yogurt company is specifically seeking national distribution, and if the minimum viable batch size for their perishable, niche product is 5000 gallons that's probably best. But I'm still pleased that their milk (or yogurt) is not shipped here from Iceland for no discernible reason.
Of course this yogurt company is specifically seeking national distribution, and if the minimum viable batch size for their perishable, niche product is 5000 gallons that's probably best. But I'm still pleased that their milk (or yogurt) is not shipped here from Iceland for no discernible reason.
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Shipping, let alone the regulations around that, would make that an unreasonable approach.
AFAIK skyr is no yogurt, it is a quark.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quark_%28dairy_product%29
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quark_%28dairy_product%29
They mention adding bacterial culture - quark cheese involves none of that. See the link for "yoghurt cheeses" at the end of the article.
What do you mean it doesn't involve adding backterial culture? Quark is made with it! See for example (first result from google query "making quark")
http://www.cheesemaking.com/Quark.html
I also have no idea why they call it cheese. Quark is very far from cheese (the quark that is sold here is exactly the same as Skyr)
http://www.cheesemaking.com/Quark.html
I also have no idea why they call it cheese. Quark is very far from cheese (the quark that is sold here is exactly the same as Skyr)
I'm still waiting for Skyr in Europe/Germany. While this article calls it yoghurt, it's.. not.
Maybe I should start an import or production business myself..
On another note, it is really annoying how every country has their own collection of dairy-based products which one cannot get anywhere else and one has to adapt recipies all the time. (It's also nice, because diversity, but still.)
edit: Looks like this year, finally, there will be skyr in Germany. Now to find a supplier..
On another note, it is really annoying how every country has their own collection of dairy-based products which one cannot get anywhere else and one has to adapt recipies all the time. (It's also nice, because diversity, but still.)
edit: Looks like this year, finally, there will be skyr in Germany. Now to find a supplier..
Quite interesting that you can't find skyr in germany as one of the first places that sold Skyr in Finland was Lidl..
Mager-Quark is the answer.
Nice story, especially about the company's beginnings.
I encourage people to try their hand at making yogurt. It's a little time consuming (proper prep, timing, temperature monitoring, cleanup), but otherwise easy and the result is so satisfying. For me, the cost is about the same (if using expensive milk at 2x the price of "normal" stuff), but again it's all about satisfaction.
It's partly about the value of understanding one's food, and partly that with only a little practice, it's difficult to find better tasting yogurt at the store.
I encourage people to try their hand at making yogurt. It's a little time consuming (proper prep, timing, temperature monitoring, cleanup), but otherwise easy and the result is so satisfying. For me, the cost is about the same (if using expensive milk at 2x the price of "normal" stuff), but again it's all about satisfaction.
It's partly about the value of understanding one's food, and partly that with only a little practice, it's difficult to find better tasting yogurt at the store.
Agreed. Its even better if the homemade yogurt is strained. I got one of these a few months ago and have been mightily impressed.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DDXWX0Q
I strain the yogurt down much thicker than even Greek yogurt sold in stores. It's great on a sandwich, as a mayo substitute, dressings etc. I have experimented with a number of different starters from commercial yogurts and each has a slightly different flavor. Homemade yogurt really is very good and worth a try.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DDXWX0Q
I strain the yogurt down much thicker than even Greek yogurt sold in stores. It's great on a sandwich, as a mayo substitute, dressings etc. I have experimented with a number of different starters from commercial yogurts and each has a slightly different flavor. Homemade yogurt really is very good and worth a try.
Very easy recipe (takes about an hour, mostly waiting for milk to cool):
- Buy a container of your favorite _plain_ yogurt and a gallon of milk,
- Boil the milk in a pan,
- Cool milk until it is warm (usual baby formula test - you can drop it on your forearm w/o hurt),
- Add the plain yogurt and stir well,
- Cover pan and put in a warm place, e.g., inside your unlit gas oven (pilot light should be running) and forget about it for 8-12 hours,
It will become thick tasty yogurt. Save some for the next batch.
- Buy a container of your favorite _plain_ yogurt and a gallon of milk,
- Boil the milk in a pan,
- Cool milk until it is warm (usual baby formula test - you can drop it on your forearm w/o hurt),
- Add the plain yogurt and stir well,
- Cover pan and put in a warm place, e.g., inside your unlit gas oven (pilot light should be running) and forget about it for 8-12 hours,
It will become thick tasty yogurt. Save some for the next batch.
> At the time, most Whole Foods stores already stocked one other skyr yogurt, Siggi's, which had launched a few years prior to Smári Organics.
Shouldn't this story be about Siggi's, then?
Shouldn't this story be about Siggi's, then?
The article mentions that they don't use the equipment actual Icelandic yogurt needs.
You don't need specialized equipment. I used to make skyr at our local dairy back when I was a kid (in Neskaupstaður, East Iceland), the equipment we used for our method of production was:
1) A large metal vat for the milk to ferment in.
2) Burlap bags that the fermented milk was drained into.
3) A large open top metal tub with wire racks on top, stored in a cooler.
The burlap bags were placed on the wire rack and the whey (mysa) allowed to drain from the bags for a couple of days. When the curds were almost free of whey, the Skyr was scooped from the bags and sold. Not exactly a high tech process.
1) A large metal vat for the milk to ferment in.
2) Burlap bags that the fermented milk was drained into.
3) A large open top metal tub with wire racks on top, stored in a cooler.
The burlap bags were placed on the wire rack and the whey (mysa) allowed to drain from the bags for a couple of days. When the curds were almost free of whey, the Skyr was scooped from the bags and sold. Not exactly a high tech process.
I don't have a tub in front of me, but skyr.is is available in some of the Whole Foods markets in the US. I think this is made in Iceland and imported, and it tastes like I remember from visiting. Siggi's is pretty good, but I think it states made in the US (no tub of that, either, sorry).
They don't have a fancy PR agency...
I noticed they recently started selling skyr in my local supermarket, in the UK. I was so excited! I had it on a trip to Iceland several years ago and have been trying to find it ever since... It was a bit disappointing; not how I remember it, even against the Icelandic consumer stuff (rather than the fancy restaurant versions). Oh well :P It's not bad and it's pretty good in a nutritional sense.
Very happy to hear this. Having visited Iceland last week, I was very impressed with their dairy products in general. Coming from the US, the first morning I opened a small container of Smjör butter I was convinced they had added Yellow 5 to it, but it just seems to be the product of healthy grass-fed cows.
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Skyr is everywhere in Denmark now. Every supermarket is selling skyr, and you can even buy it in 7 Eleven. It's quite remarkable how fast this product has established itself.