The Ancient Superfood with the Surprising History
Many people around the world enjoy yogurt on a daily basis, either dairy or the more recent plant-based options, but few have ever considered who first discovered the art of culturing milk.
It is believed that the Babylonians started the fermentation of milk in 5000 BC—a shocking seven thousand years ago—to create yogurt. The history of yogurt is an interesting one. Our knowledge of this lengthy history largely comes from recent research that discovered a type of bacterial species known as Lactobacillus delbrueckii bulgaricus that is believed to have originated on the surface of a plant. It is believed that milk may have inadvertently become inoculated with a plant containing this probiotic bacteria, resulting in fermented milk, or yogurt.
Yogurt appears in ancient Indian and Persian records but the oldest writings are attributed to Pliny the Elder who wrote that some “barbarous nations” could “thicken the milk into a substance with an agreeable acidity.”
Yogurt has played an important role in the diets of Russian, Western Asian, Southeastern and Central European people for many years. Russian Nobel laureate and biologist Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov believed that regular consumption of yogurt was responsible for the unusually long lifespans of Bulgarian peasants. Mechnikov may have been right, at least in part.
Excerpt from my book The Cultured Cook. Subscribe to my free newsletter to discover the 12 Amazing Ways Yogurt Can Transform Your Health in the next issue.
Michelle Schoffro Cook, PhD is an award-winning, best-selling, and 26-time published author, whose books include: The Cancer Files, 60 Seconds to Slim, Pain Erasers, The Ultimate pH Solution, and The Cultured Cook. She is the recipient of a Gold Foreword Indies and a Silver Nautilus award. Her work has been featured in Woman’s World, WebMD, Reviews.com, Yahoo!, Yoga Magazine, and Mother Earth News. Her book, Pain Erasers, was selected by Woman’s World as the “Best New Book.” She is the publisher of the popular free newsletter at DrMichelleCook.com. Follow me on: https://Facebook.com/drschoffrocook https://Instagram.com/mschoffrocook https://X.com/mschoffrocook. If you found this information helpful, consider buying me a coffee.
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Now there’s one more reason to enjoy your favorite curry dish. Turmeric, a spice commonly found in many Indian curry dishes, contains a compound called curcumin that has been found to improve memory and cognition in as little as one hour. Learn more in Boost Your Brain Power in 60 Seconds.
It is believed that the Babylonians started the fermentation of milk in 5000 BC—a shocking seven thousand years ago—to create yogurt. Learn more: The Cultured Cook: Delicious Fermented Foods with Probiotics to Knock Out Inflammation, Boost Gut Health, Lose Weight, and Extend Your Life.