Would You Eat A Beetroot Yoghurt?

Move over strawberries, there’s a new kind of yoghurt flavour in town and this one won’t give you tooth decay…

What is it?

A whole new range of possibilities in yoghurt flavours, based on vegetable instead of fruit: beetroot, carrot, butternut squash, tomato. They are produced by US-based Blue Hill Farm and restaurant.

Why haven’t I heard of it until now?

Yoghurt is not for everyone, and the way producers have tackled making it palatable is combining it with fruit flavours and packing in the sugar, turning them into a kind of alternative dessert snack. We’ve become so used to associating yoghurt with this kind of sweet flavours, we just never think of other ways of using it. In Ireland we’re only just seeing the introduction of products like high-protein yoghurts, and so far there are no producers in Ireland making savoury flavours – but hopefully it will hit the shelves here soon.

Is it good for me?

Much as with natural yoghurt, these yoghurts are full of calcium, vitamins and other good things. The vegetable yoghurts may have an advantage over fruity yoghurts as they have less added sugar, though they might still have quite a bit of fat content.

How much will it cost?

Unknown as yet – hopefully not much more than your average artisan yoghurt, so probably €2 – €3 per pot.

What does it taste like?

Very similar to standard yoghurts: creamy and light, but with vegetable sweetness instead of fruit. Think carrot puree or sweet potato mash rather than tart berry compote.

Where can I get it?

So far there doesn’t seem to be any suppliers in Ireland, though if you’re in the US you can pick some up in Whole Foods. Perhaps there are some farmers market vendors or others we just don’t know about yet – so do let us know in the comments if you’ve come across savoury yoghurt flavours in Dublin. Otherwise, keep an eye on companies like Glenisk or Irepak, who are constantly coming up with other interesting yoghurty ideas.