Good plain Yoghurt is hard to come by in China, and I love it! To be had with granola and fruit, to be had plain or drizzled with honey, to be used in salads and as a healthier substitute for sour cream... you get the picture!
To eat good plain yoghurt in Shanghai you have to either buy it imported (usually from Europe) at an exorbitant price, or be organized enough to order it from Bebemamie, which delivers weekly to your door but forces you to buy over 800g. (2 lb.) of fresh yoghurt every week for approximately $20 USD! I love yoghurt but even I can't get through 2 lb a week, and I like to have yoghurt on my own schedule, and while $20 for 2 lb is a good deal compared to eating the imported stuff, it's still pretty pricey...
I paid the equivalent of about $7 USD (including shipping!) for my "Little Bear" yoghurt machine and making my own fresh yoghurt at home is awesome! Not to mention it makes my foreign friends jealous! Not to mention it is so easy!
My yoghurt is fresh, unsweetened, and made with milk I trust (somewhat) so I believe I have less of a chance of consuming contaminated dairy. It also contains no preservatives and other chemicals, but for this reason it won't really keep for more than a week or so.
Steps to making your own yoghurt in China:
1) Purchase a yoghurt machine! I paid just 35RMB for mine (about $5 USD) on Taobao and it's been working fine for over 2 years now. I got "Little Bear" brand, but there are lots of others available.
2) To begin your first batch, you will need some fresh yoghurt to start your culture. I bought some Greek yoghurt at city shop for about 30RMB for a cup (almost the price of my machine!!). The good news is that you only really need to do this once.
3) The yoghurt machine basically consists of a plastic container that becomes warm, and a tupperware that fits snugly inside it. Before using it, pour boiling water into the tupperware and lid, and sterilize all the parts that will be in contact with the yoghurt.
4) Pour milk (I always use whole milk, for creamiest texture!) into the tupperware until it is near full. Then mix in a spoonful of plain greek yoghurt.
5) Plug in the yoghurt machine and let the yoghurt bacteria (Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus, according to Wikipedia) do their magic! You should keep the yoghurt culture in the machine for approximately 14-16 hours in order to get thick, creamy yoghurt.
6) When it's done, just unplug the machine and transfer the tupperware straight to the refrigerator. It will take at least a couple of hours for the yoghurt to chill completely.
7) Each time you make yoghurt, make sure to save a large spoonful to add to your next culture. That way, you won't ever have to buy the expensive foreign imports again!
Enjoy!!
To eat good plain yoghurt in Shanghai you have to either buy it imported (usually from Europe) at an exorbitant price, or be organized enough to order it from Bebemamie, which delivers weekly to your door but forces you to buy over 800g. (2 lb.) of fresh yoghurt every week for approximately $20 USD! I love yoghurt but even I can't get through 2 lb a week, and I like to have yoghurt on my own schedule, and while $20 for 2 lb is a good deal compared to eating the imported stuff, it's still pretty pricey...
I paid the equivalent of about $7 USD (including shipping!) for my "Little Bear" yoghurt machine and making my own fresh yoghurt at home is awesome! Not to mention it makes my foreign friends jealous! Not to mention it is so easy!
My yoghurt is fresh, unsweetened, and made with milk I trust (somewhat) so I believe I have less of a chance of consuming contaminated dairy. It also contains no preservatives and other chemicals, but for this reason it won't really keep for more than a week or so.
Steps to making your own yoghurt in China:
1) Purchase a yoghurt machine! I paid just 35RMB for mine (about $5 USD) on Taobao and it's been working fine for over 2 years now. I got "Little Bear" brand, but there are lots of others available.
2) To begin your first batch, you will need some fresh yoghurt to start your culture. I bought some Greek yoghurt at city shop for about 30RMB for a cup (almost the price of my machine!!). The good news is that you only really need to do this once.
3) The yoghurt machine basically consists of a plastic container that becomes warm, and a tupperware that fits snugly inside it. Before using it, pour boiling water into the tupperware and lid, and sterilize all the parts that will be in contact with the yoghurt.
4) Pour milk (I always use whole milk, for creamiest texture!) into the tupperware until it is near full. Then mix in a spoonful of plain greek yoghurt.
5) Plug in the yoghurt machine and let the yoghurt bacteria (Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus, according to Wikipedia) do their magic! You should keep the yoghurt culture in the machine for approximately 14-16 hours in order to get thick, creamy yoghurt.
6) When it's done, just unplug the machine and transfer the tupperware straight to the refrigerator. It will take at least a couple of hours for the yoghurt to chill completely.
7) Each time you make yoghurt, make sure to save a large spoonful to add to your next culture. That way, you won't ever have to buy the expensive foreign imports again!
Enjoy!!
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