The richness - and riches - of yogurt
(CBS News) Some Old World foods are as near as your neighborhood grocery store. Serena Altschul reports:
New York City has always taken pride in its culture. So it's only fitting that at a trendy new spot in Soho, the cultures are alive and active. It IS a yogurt shop, after all.
That's right, yogurt - fermented milk - is now center-stage in one of Manhattan's chicest neighborhoods.
"The goal of this cafe was really to show the possibilities of yogurt," said John Heath, who heads innovation at Chobani.
He says the yogurt bar puts a brand new face on an age-old product.
He said the bestseller at Chobani's yogurt bar on Prince Street is the pistachio with chocolate and orange: "People absolutely love that one."
It's a far cry from the supermarket brands you may know better. Thousands of years ago, nomads from Asia are thought to have first discovered yogurt. Today, Chobani's chefs say they're discovering it all over again, with "yogurt creations" like a chocolate-orange concoction.
But there's no need for chocolate in THIS unlikely savory combo: "Here we have some cucumber, some olive oil, a little bit of salt, and just pure, simple yogurt," Heath explained.
"This is kind of an eye-opener, I think, for people; this is really a big departure from the traditional yogurt experience," said Altschul.
"Absolutely,"
At the heart of every recipe is Chobani yogurt - a Greek yogurt, strained to remove whey and water. The result is something far denser than traditional yogurts.
"It's thicker, it's creamy. It has a great texture," said Heath.
And from richness, comes riches: Chobani, just five years on your grocery shelves, is now the best-selling yogurt brand in America.
It's at the forefront of an even bigger culture shift: Greek yogurt, once a small fraction of the market, will top $1 billion in U.S. sales this year.
"It's very high in protein, it has less sugar, and companies have made it absolutely delicious," said Cornell dairy specialist Tristan Zuber. "So that appeals to American consumers right now. They want something that's healthier."
And it's very healthy for the New York state economy, said Zuber. Upstate New York is now home to all the major Greek brands.
For local dairy farmers, you might just call it a cash cow.
"New York is definitely becoming the Silicon Valley of yogurt," said Zuber. "There's currently 553 million pounds of yogurt that's manufactured in New York. That's a 140 percent increase since 2008."
And the next generation of New York yogurt-makers is already on its way up.
Siggi Hilmarsson came here from Iceland. He started making Siggi's yogurt in his small Manhattan apartment, but very soon the plot thickened.
"That's when Whole Foods gave us a call," said Hilmarson said. "I didn't realize how dramatically it would change my life when it happened. But it was a good call to get."
Today, Siggi ships to around 2,000 stores nationwide, selling about 100,000 cups a week.
And he says that's just the beginning.
"When you talk about yogurt and the different flavors, your eyes light up and your whole face smiles," said Altschul.
"Oh yeah. I mean, it's fun," sais Hilmarsson. "It's been a great ride, you know? So, you know, I've been pretty excited about it."
Back in Soho, the folks at Chobani would agree: There's a lot to be excited about. In fact, they plan to milk this for all it's worth.
"The big question is, how high is up, right?" said Heath. "There's only so many feet of space in the yogurt aisle, right? Or in the dairy aisle. If people truly are moving towards this category and the category continues to grow, we probably will need another aisle."
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