PRODUCT: Wallaby Organic Greek Yogurt

March 8, 2012 at 10:40 am · Filed under Cheese-Yogurt-Dairy, Kosher Nibbles, NutriNibbles-Organic-Health, Organic

One of 5 varieties of organic Greek yogurt.
Photo courtesy Wallaby.

Wallaby Yogurt Company, a family-owned producer of organic yogurt, has launched its first line of organic Greek yogurts.

Greek yogurt—properly called Greek-style yogurt when made outside of Greece—is typically triple-strained, removing much of the water to create a very thick texture.

Wallaby, based in Napa Valley, California, is known for its creamy, pudding-like yogurts which they call Australian-style, a term we’ve not come across elsewhere. We’d call them custard-style, French-style or Swiss-style (see our Yogurt Glossary for the different types of yogurt). The founders were inspired to make the yogurt while enjoying many a yogurt in Australia.

A press release notes that “Once the founders had decided [to make Greek yogurt], they tried every brand of Greek yogurt that they could get their hands on. When they were done, they ultimately concluded that there just weren’t any organic Greek yogurts out there that tasted really great. What followed was an intense effort of repeated trial and error, to come up with what they ultimately felt would be a Greek yogurt unmatched in taste.”

While we certainly respect the effort, this is a a different style of Greek yogurt than we’re accustomed to. It’s lighter and less thick, not too removed from the company’s regular lines. Instead of a thick, sour-cream-like consistency, Wallaby’s version of Greek yogurt is silky and elegant.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But if you’re an organic yogurt eater who is fond of Oikos* Greek yogurt from Stonyfield—or delight in the Greek-style yogurts from Chobani and FAGE Total—note that Wallaby takes a different approach.

*The Oikos brand name is also licensed to Dannon, a part-owner of Stonyfield, which produces a non-organic line of Dannon Oikos Greek yogurt. Yes, it is confusing!

Wallaby Organic Greek Lowfat Yogurt is available in a variety of flavors and sizes.

Flavored Yogurt. The 5.3-ounce flavored varieties—Blueberry, Cherry, Honey and Strawberry—are packaged in the same type of two-compartment cup used by FAGE Total yogurt. We’ve never been fans of this cup. The intent is to allow consumers to control the amount of flavor they get. But regardless of the brand, we find that scraping out the last morsel of fruit or honey yields barely enough to flavor the cup—and it’s a lot more work than the if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it “fruit on the bottom” alternative.

Plain Yogurt. Conventional plain yogurt is available in 6-ounce and 16-ounce sizes.

The Greek yogurt line is now available nationwide in Whole Foods Markets. The 5.3-ounce and 6-ounce sizes are priced at $1.99; the 16-ounce size retails for $3.99. The line is certified USDA organic and certified kosher by the Orthodox Rabbinical Council of San Francisco (K-ORC).

Learn your yogurt types in our Yogurt Glossary.

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