This Is The Real Difference Between Skyr And Greek Yogurt

Whether you're enjoying it for breakfast, lunch, or an after dinner snack, there is no denying that yogurt's creaminess has the immense capability to hit just the right notes. Regardless of what you eat it with — topped with fresh fruit, nuts, or whipped cream — you probably have your go-to brand and type of yogurt that you gravitate toward. A stroll down the yogurt section at your local dairy aisle will have you seeing things like French yogurt, German yogurt, Greek yogurt, and skyr — Icelandic yogurt.

Overwhelming, right? Eater reports that yogurt sales have been sliding because there have been too many options for consumers, many of whom might not know or understand the true differences between all of the varieties.

Greek yogurt, also known as the "popular kid" according to Food52, has been around for quite some time. But what about the newcomer, skyr (pronounced skeer, per Food Republic)? Are Greek yogurt and skyr very similar, or two completely different beasts, much like regular yogurt when compared to its Greek cousin?

Chief innovations officer at Icelandic Provisions, John Heath, reveals to Food Republic that although both skyr and Greek yogurt start off with milk, the cultures that are used to create yogurt are very distinctive to each product. In other words, if you add a culture that isn't the proper skyr culture, you will most likely end up with something that belongs in another yogurt family.

Although Iceland has been making skyr for centuries – Icelandic Provisions cites that it was introduced to Iceland in 874 — Greek yogurt is a tad bit more mature. According to the Matador Network, the first mention of yogurt in Greek texts dates back to 100 BCE. Real Simple explains that the road to becoming a yogurt is also somewhat dissimilar between the two.

While Greek yogurt is made using regular milk that has been strained and fermented, skyr is made by heating up skim milk and adding skyr-specific cultures to it. Both yogurts are thought of as smooth and thick, but skyr is said to have higher levels of protein than its Greek cousin, per Real Simple.