Greek & Non-greek | Hacienda Macalauan Yogurt

In case you're wondering, that title is inspired by Romans 1:14. Haha. Ok, enough bible drills.

200g regular yogurt vs. 30g greek yogurt (I cheated, yellow one is alsp regular yogurt :))

So yes, I was doing my favorite chore last weekend (grocery shopping!) when I saw these brothers on the dairy freezer. I have been loving the regular Hacienda Macalauan yogurt in all the different flavors. But when I saw the Greek version (with the wrongly placed sigma's for e's :p), I was overjoyed. I've heard about these things before but I didn't really know the difference between Greek and non-Greek.

 

L: Greek w/blueberry preserve. R: Non-Greek blueberry flavored.

I was surprised to find the thicker, creamier version. The texture is very rich and thick, the taste tart and on the sour side. I wouldn't say I didn't like it but it takes some getting used to. I think the flavor I got (blueberry) sits well with it, even if, as you can see above, the texture of the Greek one makes it immiscible with the blueberry preserve. 

I did some research to find out the difference in what I just ate. What I learned in a nutshell is that the Greek is thicker because the liquid whey is strained out. Hence, it is also called strained yogurt. Being thicker, it tends to be more filling and actually does have more calories and protein, generally. It has also less lactose making it more tolerable for the lactose intolerant.

My verdict? It's a new experience worth repeating but I'm sticking with the familiar regular version for now, Hacienda Macalauan's being my personal favorite among available brands locally. Lastly, and I really have to put this in: Regular yogurt is sold in a homemade and very affordable version in the streets of Baguio. Yey!