The "Have You Acquired A Taste For The Stuff? Story

Breakfast with my morning newspaper!

It was an ordinary day.  Grabbed a container of yogurt and the morning paper and sat in my recliner as I ate my breakfast and caught up on the local news.  Sound like something you might do?  I have loved reading the newspaper since I was in junior high school, but it wasn't until a few years ago that I enjoyed eating yogurt.  Don't know if its the name of the stuff or the slight sour flavor that turned me off to yogurt.  Then I gave it another chance and realized its no so bad after all.  So how much do you know about yogurt?  Yogurt is Turkish in origin and is traced back to the Neolithic peoples of Central Asia around 6000 B.C. when herdsmen began the practice of milking their animals and the natural enzymes in the containers that were used curdled the milk thus making yogurt.  It was thought that people favored the taste of the curdled milk so it eventually evolved into commercial yogurt making.  The first industrialized production of yogurt is credited to Isaac Carasso who in 1919, in Barcelona, Spain named his company "Danone" after his son; "Danone" means "Little Daniel".  In the 1700s Turkish immigrants brought yogurt to North America, but it wasn't until the 1940's when Daniel and Juan Metzger took over a small yogurt factory in the Bronx, NY that yogurt became well known.  

One of the most recognized brands of yogurt.

Yogurt with fruit on the bottom was first introduced in 1947 by Dannon when strawberries were added.  Then along came the health food culture in the 50s and 60s and yogurt became a part on many households.  My childhold household in Lancaster, Pennsylvania wasn't one of those that embraced the stuff.  Actually, as I said earlier, I didn't even try yogurt until a few years ago.  But, when I saw yogurt with the many varieties of fruit in them, I gave it a try once again.  I found l liked the combination of the fruit's sweetness and the tartness of the yogurt.  Then in 1951 Daniel Carasso had to return to France for business reasons leaving Dannon under the care of partner Juan Metzger.  Daniel told Metzger it may be best to sell the company so in 1959 Dannon Milk Products was aquired by Beatrice Foods in Ohio.  In 1986 Dannon moved into new headquarters in White Plains, NY.  Today, the top selling yogurt flavors in the United States are, in order: Strawberry, Blueberry, Vanilla, Peach, Plain, Raspberry, Honey, Banana/Strawberry, Black Cherry and Berry.  My wife now eats Chobani flip with the almond coco loco flavor.  It is coconut low-fat Greek yogurt with honey roasted salted almonds & dark chocolate.  Doesn't sound or taste good to me, but she loves it and she's the one eating it.  I still have a tub of yogurt from time to time.  It's actually a quick breakfast, good for you and still goes well with the morning paper!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

My wife's favorite.