In September 2009, a plaintive inquiry appeared on an ottawafoodies. com forum: "Anyone know where I can get some Greek yogourt in Ottawa?" Responses included instructions on how to make your own, a vague suggestion about buying it in bulk at an unnamed cheese store in the ByWard Market and a recommendation to try Loblaws.
An inquiry like that would be unlikely today. Greek yogourt, frequently trumpeted as the latest superfood, is ubiquitous. Manufacturers jockey for market share; Loblaws last year began re-merchandising the dairy section of some stores in part to showcase its Greek yogourts, and publications, including the Wall Street Journal and The Atlantic, have analyzed the phenomenon of soaring sales: from $60 million annually to $1.5 billion in just five years in the United States.
Not bad for something basically made by straining ordinary yogourt to remove the whey, resulting in a thicker, creamier and often tangy product loudly touted to contain twice the protein level of garden-variety yogourt.
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