Turkish yogurt (yoğurt — the word is Turkish in origin and has entered virtually every world language) is made from full-fat milk cultured with Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus at a specific temperature until it sets to a thick, slightly sour, creamy consistency. Turkish yogurt is the base of dozens of preparations: drunk as ayran (diluted with water and salted), used as a marinade, used as a cooking medium, and used as a sauce (served cold with hot preparations — the temperature contrast that makes yogurt sauce on mantı and hot börek so compelling).
- **The milk:** Full-fat whole milk. The fat provides the creaminess and the fermentation substrate for the cultures. - **The temperature for culturing:** 40–45°C — the ideal range for Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus activity. Below 38°C: the cultures are inactive. Above 48°C: the cultures are killed. - **Seeding with existing yogurt:** A tablespoon of live-culture yogurt from the previous batch — the cultures are already active and at maximum viability. - **The set:** 4–8 hours undisturbed in a warm environment. The pot must not be moved during setting — vibration disrupts the protein network before it is fully formed. - **Ayran:** Yogurt + water + salt — beaten to aeration. The Turkish drink that moderates spice and refreshes the palate. The salt enhances the yogurt's lactic acidity perception. [VERIFY] Dağdeviren's ayran specification.
The Turkish Cookbook