What is yogurt like in Spain?

14 years ago

In one of my old Gourmets, there's a very simple recipe for a lemon dessert using lemon juice, yogurt, and sweetened condensed milk. It was from a restaurant in Barcelona. I'm wondering if I should use thick Greek yogurt or unstrained American-style whole milk yogurt.

Thank you Sharon!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (29)

lindac
14 years ago
Like in Greece...
canarybird01
14 years ago
Christine the supermarkets here have whole walls dedicated to yoghurt in every form and style. It's one of the most popular dairy products sold here and it comes in whole milk, skim milk, Greek, fruit flavoured, with fruit chunks, totally plain or as a drink.

As I'm not familiar with American yoghurt I would use a plain whole-milk variety. A plain yoghurt here is similar to a baked custard, and the fruity yoghurts have a creamier consistency so I don't know if that would be considered strained or not.
The combination of ingredients that you mention though makes me wonder if it would be more like a quark than a yoghurt, which is roughly similar to a creme fraiche. If you can tell me more about the recipe or the name of the restaurant I could look up the Spanish version and let you know what I find.

SharonCb
Related Discussions
fuchsias in Spain - like inland california?
Q
Comments (7)
Hi Adam I recall some years ago reading an article (I think it was in a British Fuchsia Society publication) from someone growing fuchsias in South Africa. If I recall correctly the fuchsias they grew spent much of their time in what they described as a Âshade house made from laths' (strips of flat timber) and the ground being covered with gravel or pea shingle to enable this to be watered and create a humid atmosphere. I would further suggest that plants in pots are double potted and gravel is added to the space between pots, this could help to keep the plant roots cooler and help prevent the scorching heat from burning the roots through the single pot sides, using clay terracotta pots would also help. As to varieties, some as you know will completely scorch, wilt and wither while others just ÂburnÂ (the leaf colour changes to red) if the temperature becomes too high and these seem to be the smaller flowered varieties, with some exceptions of course. The Triphylla types grow well in direct sunlight but even these would I think suffer from extremes. In the words of ÂConnie FuchsiusÂ; "If you donÂt grow Â you donÂt know - give whatever you can buy a try" In my opinion (for what its worth) I think the shade house system, double potting, lots of gravel on the floor, watering the plants very early morning, providing humidity by watering the gravel floor whenever possible and a lot of moving plants around when the sun is not at it fiercest looks the best prospect Â seems like hard work Â but no doubt well worth itÂ.. Tight....
...See More
Who visited Spain? Someone here drove round SoSpain??
Q
Comments (7)
Maureen I sure hope you and your dh are feeling better soon and that your trip will clear up any remaining cold symptoms. I drove back and forth across southern Spain twelve times when I was working for a Spanish company years ago, and at the time I was familiar with every little bend in the road. But things will have changed since then. But here are some tips and must sees. If you need a hotel, there is nothing better than the Spanish National Paradores......the government chain of inns located in old castles and modern buildings, in some of the most beautiful and historic places in the country. The menus in their dining rooms reflect the local cuisine and I can't praise them highly enough. Here's another site with info and photos of the Paradores. Places not to miss: - the white village in the province of Almeria.....a beautiful Moorish town perched on a hill, and looking down over the Parador of Mojacar. NERJA - another charming town......albeit somewhat touristy now. The focal points are the caves and the BalcÃ³n de Europa, a magnificent viewpoint. ANTEQUERA - a beautiful medieval town. MIJAS - another lovely white village on the Costa del Sol. RONDA - another must place to visit, having one of the oldest bullrings in Spain, now a museum. A historic and beautiful place with lots to see. GRANADA - of course The famous is a MUST see. Keep your camera batteries charged and have lots of memory cards when you go! I'm sure the southern coast is now somewhat overdeveloped with holiday apartments and mass tourism, but once you get out into the villages you will still find much of that Andalucian charm. Food.....try places where the local folks are eating and avoid the eateries populated by tourists. Ask a local person....taxi or bus driver, news agent etc. where they would recommend trying the typical dishes of that area. PS....Oh and if by unfortunate chance you are stricken by "travellers tummy" (hope not)...one of the best Spanish products to help you out are tablets of "Salvacolina" available at all pharmacists. And if your cold symptoms persist, a very good remedy is a medicated hot lemon drink which comes in a box of little pouches of powder which you dissolve in hot water called Frenadol which is what I use to stop cold symptoms. No prescription needed. Good Trip....Â¡Buen Viaje! SharonCb
...See More
What Food Items to Buy in Spain?
Q
Comments (15)
Chase the dish you refer to is called a "cazuela de barro" which means a clay casserole dish. They are unbelievably cheap to buy and come in all shapes and sizes but must be packed well in bubble paper as they are fragile. You can also ask for a "cazuela" but that doesn't necessarily mean one of those brown clay pots. If near Mallorca, the same dish is called a "greixonera". Other things to look for: the smoked paprika powder from La Vera, called "Pimenton De La Vera". Definitely a Manchego cheese if you're allowed to bring one back. We like the semi-cured "semi curado". Some olive wood items could be nice. Be careful which saffron you might choose. It should be a dark red and not orange. Last photo in the link above shows the traditional yellow porcelain mortal and pestle ("mortero"). Very heavy in weight but you will find one of those in most Spanish households, including mine. SharonCb in BC
...See More
OT re: gadgets..good thermometer for yogurt-making?
Q
Comments (16)
I wanted to chime in on this thread. I make yogurt regularly and have been for several years. Atleast 2-3 times a week. And I do not use a thermometer. I have also studied the dairy science of making yogurt professionally and despite all the math, it boils down to providing a comfortable pasturized medium for the bacteria to grow. Here is the easy recipe if you will that I wrote up for some other friends.. I usually make 1/4 gallon. But it really does not matter as you just need a longer time to "set" yogurt if you use more milk. Use ultra-pasterized organic milk (I usually pick up Horizon's or Costco or Stermicks or whatever is available on sale that week at my store). Heat the milk. If heating on stove top use a stainless steel pot with thick bottom. You can also heat in a microwave. If you are heating on stove top, use low heat and stir frequently to prevent milk from scorching and prevent the skin from forming. With a microwave, you need to eyeball it until you figure out the math for your microwave (how much milk in what casserole for how many minutes). The milk is heated enough when you can see steam arising steadily. If you put a drop of milk on your wrist, it should feel hot. Now take remove the pot from heat and let cool. You are ready to add the yogurt culture when the milk feels lukewarm (give the milk a good stir and do the wrist test again). Don't worry about specific temperature, as long as it feels luke warm and tepid, the yogurt will set. Add the culture. For the first time you can use a commmercial culture like Yogourmet (available at wholefoods for me). Use just 1 packet and follow instructions to mix the powder in a bit of milk and pour it into the pot. For subsequent times, you can save a few tbsps of the made yogurt and use it as culture for the next times. My current culture is going strong for 3 years. Mix the culture throughly and put the lid back on the pot. Keep it in a reasonably warm place. If you warmed the milk in the microwave, you can just mix the culture and leave it in there. If you live in a cooler climate, you can leave it in the oven with the ligh on. Or just cover the pot with some dish towels. Do not move/ disturb the pot too much. The yogurt will set. How long --> depends on ambient temperature (cool --> longer, warm --> sooner). Check after 3-4 hrs to see if the yogurt is set. Tilt the pot slightly to see if is liquid still or solid. You will often see a small layer of whey on top when it is set. You can put it in the fridge when it is set to stop the bacteria growth. Some Q&A: Yogurt is a bit sour Home made yogurt is not sweetened and can be a bit more sour. It will also be more sour if the milk was too warm or the place you set it is too warm (the oven or the room in summers). Just try setting it with slightly cooler milk and move it to the fridge sooner (good tip for warm summer) Yogurt takes too long to set Try with warmer milk and a more insulated area. My friend in cold canadian north uses a yogurt cosy (adapted from a tea cosy)she made to give the milk a nice ambient temperature. Why ultra pasturized organic milk Ultra pasturized basically means that the milk has been super heated to get rid of most bacteria (which explains the long shelf life of milk here). This actually makes it easier for home yogurt making as basically all you need to do is to get the milk to ambient temperature to introduce your yogurt culture/ bacteria. I usually heat it a bit more as my milk container has usually been opened and used for a couple of days. Organic is just my choice for my family. Milk and dairy products is one of the things I personally believe that it is a better choice to use organic. I NEED to know the science. This feels too "go with the flow" You asked for it. The science in yogurt making is simply to pasturize milk to kill any present microorganisms/ bacteria and then re-introduce the preferred bacteria culture that makes yogurt. When using a thermometer, heating milk to between 165 and 180 degrees Farenheit for a few minutes is basically same as ultra pasturization. This also denatures milk proteins so that they all set together as opposed to forming lumpy curds. Then the milk is cooled to 110 degrees Farenheit which is the best ambient temperature to incubate the usual yougurt bacteria (lactobacillus acidophillus, bulgaris) etc. The fermentation occurs over a period of 4-7 hrs. I want thicker yogurt Many store brands use gelatin. I don't like it as I feel it is too goopy. You can instead mix non-fat dry milk in the milk and mix it throughly (no lumps) before heating. You can start with 1/3 cup and then experiment to see how thick you want the yogurt. Also using whole milk will make thicker yogurt. Basically more solids in the milk (either fat or the solid non-fat), thicker the yogurt. Thicker yogurt will take slightly longer to set. Straining is another way to thicker after the yogurt is set. Nice but too much work IMHO. Flavored yogurt You can add pureed fruits to the mixture or jam even. I prefer to just add fresh fruit and other things like nuts, agave syrup or honey to dress the yogurt later. I usually find that the set of the yogurt sometimes gets wonky if you corrupt the milk before the culture is added. Can I use cute single serving jars This makes it a bit tricky to make sure the culture is evenly distributed and the ambient temperature is maintained for the fermentation. Results are sometimes not consistent. Suggest you try one of the yogurt makers in the market which already has the glass single serving jars. Try adding culture individually to each jar (same amount) to get consistent setting. Microwave Method please My friend simply boils milk in microwave oven till 180 to 185F (15.5mins for her corelle container in our microwave)wait it cools down to 110F to 120F. Just keep the warm innoculated milk in the oven that was pre-heated to 170 and SWITCHED OFF.
...See More
cloudy_christine
Original Author
14 years ago
Sharon, it's called "Delicias de LimÃ³n La Venta, Lemon Yogurt Pudding" in the June 1987 Gourmet. La Venta is, or was, a restaurant in Barcelona. You whisk together a cup of yogurt, half a cup of lemon juice, half a cup of sweetened condensed milk,and two teaspoons of grated lemon rind, and chill for four hours or overnight. Divide into six serving bowls, garnish with thin slices of lemon, sugar wafer cookies, and cinnamon.
Have you ever had anything like that? It sounds good.
teresa_nc7
14 years ago
Christine, that sounds yummy to me! I plan to try this soon! Thanks!

Teresa
canarybird01
14 years ago
Christine they have a lovely website in which they say they serve Mediterranean cuisine, "de mercado".....or Catalan market food. It looks like a beautiful place to dine! They have some lovely food photos on their site so have a look at what they serve. However I can't find a recipe option on their page so I would say just use a plain non-flavoured yoghurt for your recipe. If you can find a lemon-flavoured yoghurt, I'd also try using that. It all sounds delicious!

Let us know how it turns out.....I may try that one myself.

(Open site by clicking on "Welcome"....then click the other options as well as the small photos to open them.)

SharonCb

Here is a link that might be useful: Restaurante La Venta website
cloudy_christine
Original Author
14 years ago
Looks like a very nice place. Thank you for finding the site, and for the yogurt advice, Sharon. I'll use plain Dannon ("all-natural") whole-milk yogurt.

I think I'll try it frozen too, in popsicles.
It might make a good lower-fat substitute in the frozen lemon-cream sandwiches we all love.
canarybird01
14 years ago
Christine that's the same brand as I buy here, from the French company Danone and {{gwi:1521623}}
(Click for picture.)

I noticed quite a few recipes on Spanish cooking sites for Delicias de Limon. Some of them used plain yoghurt while others used the lemon-flavoured variety. I definitely will have to try this dessert. I know the combo of lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk is heavenly and as it's very sweet the yoghurt would make it lighter.

SharonCb
teresa_nc7
14 years ago
Spoon the mixture into a graham cracker crust for a light and delicious chilled warm weather dessert?
lindac
14 years ago
I think that if you use a traditional custard like whole milk yogurt, your dessert will be very very soupy. For it to set up at all you will need to use a strained yogurt or a yogurt cheese.
Linda C
cloudy_christine
Original Author
14 years ago
Linda, I figured unless Sharon said that in Spanish recipes yogurt usually means the strained, Greek-type, I'd try it with regular first. So I will. I can always freeze it.

Teresa, that sounds great! That could be a frozen dessert too, for very hot days.
lindac
14 years ago
It will be about the consistency of un whipped cream...if you use one of those yogurts with thickeners like guar gum it may be a little thicker...but it won't be like pudding, it won't mound in a spoon and for sure it won't do for a pie unless you freeze it.
I'm sure it will taste fine but will be more of a lemon soup than a thick pudding.
Linda C
canarybird01
14 years ago
Christine I have never seen or heard of strained yoghurt, so it isn't something that is sold or advertised here. Greek yoghurt is available in some supermarkets but the Spanish recipe websites I checked for the various recipes for your lemon dessert called for normal yoghurt as in the photo I posted above. The only other option for a thicker fresh cheese
(my photo of quark) which is used extensively in Germany for that type of creamy dessert, and is also sold here.

SharonCb
cloudy_christine
Original Author
14 years ago
I don't think it would be as thin as unwhipped cream; yogurt's thicker and condensed milk is very think, so the half-cup of lemon juice won't make then really runny.
I'm actually wondering if there may be some action of the acid on the protein that will make it set.
canarybird01
14 years ago
Christine I also had another thought.....you say the recipe is from 1987...? At that time there was little commercially made yoghurt available in Spain, and certainly not Greek yoghurt which has only been in the shops for the past year or two. The yoghurt at that time was plain and came in little glass jars.

I know when I've made that
that the action of the lemon juice on the sweetened condensed milk tends to make it thicken, and after it's baked for a short time it comes out rather firm. (That's the layer on top of the graham crust in the pic.) So with yoghurt added it would be softer.

Also .....what does the recipe do with these ingredients? Are they just blended and refrigerated or are they cooked?
Could you give us the recipe?

SharonCb
canarybird01
14 years ago
Sorry..... I just realized you have already told us it was whisked and chilled overnight ! :-)

SharonCb
teresa_nc7
14 years ago
There used to be a terrific ice cream and gelato shop at a local theatre in Greensboro that served a Lemon Cream Pie ice cream that was my all-time favorite flavor. It was tart and sweet at the same time with streaks of whipped cream and streaks of graham cracker crumbs running through it. My friend and I would limit ourselves to this indulgence only every few months or so due to its richness and calorie count. Also, I thought that it would lose its 'specialness' if I ate it more often.

I plan to make this recipe this weekend to see if it captures that special flavor.
lindac
14 years ago
AS a kid in Jew Jersey in the 50's, the yogurt we got was similar to what is now called Greek yogurt. It didn't get whey pooling when you dipped into it...don't know how don't know why...
When I was buying my own yogurt and realized the cost and decided to make it...I was surprised to see that whey pooling when you dipped into the yogurt.
Now unless you buy one of those individual cups with agar and guar gum added, it all does that, unless you buy Greek yogurt.
I suggest Cloudy just make it and tell us what it's like....and be prepared to freeze it if it's runny.
lindac
14 years ago
AS a kid in New Jersey in the 50's, the yogurt we got was similar to what is now called Greek yogurt. It didn't get whey pooling when you dipped into it...don't know how don't know why...
When I was buying my own yogurt and realized the cost and decided to make it...I was surprised to see that whey pooling when you dipped into the yogurt.
Now unless you buy one of those individual cups with agar and guar gum added, it all does that, unless you buy Greek yogurt.
I suggest Cloudy just make it and tell us what it's like....and be prepared to freeze it if it's runny.
beanthere_dunthat
14 years ago
CC - be sure to give us a review on the result. It sounds like something I'd love.

I bet it's rich -- might be cute to serve it in espresso cups.
teresa_nc7
14 years ago
OHHHHH, YUMMMMM!

This stuff is good!! Not too rich at all, good lemony flavor and soft pudding-like consistency. I just had a spoonful after it had been chilling for about 3 hours. I might freeze a small serving of it later just to see how it does frozen.

I think it might look nice layered with buttery graham cracker crumbs in a small glass dessert dish, topped with a few more crumbs and a dollop of whipped cream. I may try that tonight as I have everything on hand. It may be too soft to put in a crust and served in portions.

Thanks, CC, for this dessert idea and recipe!

Teresa
canarybird01
14 years ago
Teresa you've convinced me! For a simple summer dessert from the fridge it sounds perfect......easy to make and dress up as you've suggested.

I'll be doing this one soon as well.

Thanks Christine!

SharonCb
cloudy_christine
Original Author
14 years ago
You're welcome!
Teresa, I'm glad you tried it and liked it. I didn't make it yesterday because we were supposed to go to wedding today, but I'm feeling poorly and DH will have to go without me. So I think I'll make the Delicias de LimÃ³n today to enjoy tomorrow. Optimistically.
cloudy_christine
Original Author
14 years ago
Well, I put on my favorite Spanish CD, The Harp Consort's Spanish Dances by Lucas Ruiz de Ribayaz, and whipped it up, feeling very authentic because I was able to consult Sharon in Spain. The joys of our forum!
I got five sherbet dishes. Tasting it unchilled, I think I could have used a little less lemon juice. There will always be some slight variation in the tartness of the lemon and the yogurt. If I'd tasted it before filling the dishes, I might have added a tiny bit more condensed milk, but the tartness will be refreshing.
teresa_nc7
14 years ago
CC, I used the juice of one large lemon and it was not quite one-half cup. I thought the taste was just right. I like the way the yogurt cut the richness and sweetness of the Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk.

I have to be careful I don't go back to the fridge and eat the rest of it tonight....ahem.
beanthere_dunthat
14 years ago
OK, I'm convinced. *adds lemons to grocery list*

What type of yogurt did ya'll end up using?
cloudy_christine
Original Author
14 years ago
Renee, I used Dannon whole milk yogurt. It comes in quart containers and it's just about the only one that doesn't have thickeners added. All the low-fat yogurt does, it seems. When I pick up a low-fat quart by mistake, I find it inedible. The thickener does something disgusting in the blender making smoothies.

Teresa, what are you going to do with the rest of the can of condensed milk? I'm thinking of standing it in some water in the oven and making Dulce de Leche for the first time. Will that work,or should I put it in a dish?
teresa_nc7
14 years ago
Hey Renee! I used Dannon Non-fat yogurt, but my preference at another store is Stonyfield whole milk yogurt.

CC, I plan to get more lemons and make a second batch! I've convinced myself that this is a pretty "healthy" dessert - LOL!

While under the spell of late night thinking, I remembered a dessert recipe I've had for many years that I think would work with this lemony goodie:

Fruit with Lemon Custard

1 cup diced banana
1 cup seedless green or red grapes, halved
1 cup diced peeled orange

3 egg yolks
3 TB sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 t. lemon rind, grated
1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted

Combine fruit in a bowl, cover, chill.

Blend yolks and sugar in saucepan. Stir in milk. Cook over low heat until thick, about 5 minutes. Stir well. Remove from heat, add rind and vanilla, chill well. To serve, drain juice from fruit. Stir in half of the nuts. Spoon fruit/nuts into dessert dishes. Pour custard over. Sprinkle with rest of nuts.

The next time I need a light dessert, I'm going to use the Spanish Lemon Yogurt Pudding recipe instead of the cooked custard and see how I like it. The Spanish recipe is way easier.
namabafo
14 years ago
made the pudding today and the kids and I gobbled it up! My kids are lemon freaks--their birthday cakes have to be lemon pound cake.

I used non-fat yogurt and fat free condensed milk. I fudged a bit on the amounts as I had 2+ cups of yogurt, the whole can (14 oz) of milk, juice of 3 lemons and a bunch of lemon rind ( I grated until I got tired)

This one's a keeper!
adoptedbygreyhounds
14 years ago
We really liked this dessert. Thanks, Cloudy Christine, for providing the recipe. I have tried it with Dannon plain yogurt and with Greek style yogurt and couldn't tell the difference. I'm guessing the lemon reacting with the milk protein is what determines how thick it is.

What is yogurt like in Spain?

Comments (29)

lindac

canarybird01

Related Discussions

cloudy_christine
Original Author

teresa_nc7

canarybird01

cloudy_christine
Original Author

canarybird01

teresa_nc7

lindac

cloudy_christine
Original Author

lindac

canarybird01

cloudy_christine
Original Author

canarybird01

canarybird01

teresa_nc7

lindac

lindac

beanthere_dunthat

teresa_nc7

canarybird01

cloudy_christine
Original Author

cloudy_christine
Original Author

teresa_nc7

beanthere_dunthat

cloudy_christine
Original Author

teresa_nc7

namabafo

adoptedbygreyhounds

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

What is yogurt like in Spain?

Comments (29)

Related Discussions

cloudy_christineOriginal Author

cloudy_christineOriginal Author

cloudy_christineOriginal Author

cloudy_christineOriginal Author

cloudy_christineOriginal Author

cloudy_christineOriginal Author

cloudy_christineOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

cloudy_christine
Original Author

cloudy_christine
Original Author

cloudy_christine
Original Author

cloudy_christine
Original Author

cloudy_christine
Original Author

cloudy_christine
Original Author

cloudy_christine
Original Author