The History of Yogurt As Food

Yogurt is a staple in diets all around the world for centuries. Here is a brief yogurt history dating back to 10,000 BC through its modern-day commercialization:

Yogurt – One of the Oldest Known Food to Mankind

Food historians have concluded that yogurt was an accidental discovery as a result of milk being stored by primitive methods in warm climates. It was then popularized as a way to fermenting milk to preserve it as well as reaping its nutritional health benefits.

The first known yogurt as a food dates back to the Neolithic Period from 10,000 BC through 5,000 BC in Mesopotamia where milk-producing animals were first domesticated. By 2,000 BC, about half of the human population was consuming dairy products.

“Yogurt” comes from the Turkish word “yogurmak” which means “to thicken or to curdle”. For centuries, Arabic, Turkish, Indian, and Russian cuisines incorporated yogurt into their diets.

India
Ancient Indian records noted the combination of yogurt and honey as “the food of the gods.”

Mongolia
In Mongolia in the late 12th century, Genghis Khan fed his army yogurt, which he belief fortified their strength.

France
In 1539, King Francois I of France was cured of severe diarrhea by consuming yogurt

Spain to the Americas
Then, the first large-scale commercial production of yogurt opened in 1919 in Barcelona. Isaac Carasso was the founder of Danone, which means “little Daniel” named after his son. Daniel Carasso later expanded the company throughout Europe and later into the Americas where it came to be known as Dannon.

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