Yogurt has been produced in Anatolia for at least 3,000 years. Turkish domestic yogurt production (ev yoğurdu — home yogurt) remained common in Turkish households until the mid-20th century. The specific bacterial strains used in Turkish yogurt (Lactobacillus bulgaricus — named after the Bulgarian Lactobacillus tradition, which derived from the Anatolian) produce a sharper, more sour result than European yogurt traditions.
Turkey is the origin country of yogurt — the word itself is Turkish (yoğurmak, to knead or thicken). Turkish yogurt tradition is more developed than any other: different bacterial cultures for different purposes, different fat percentages, different straining levels, and the use of yogurt as a cooking ingredient in ways that Western cooking rarely employs. Understanding Turkish yogurt use — as sauce, as marinade, as braising medium, as dressing — is understanding a foundational flavour principle of Anatolian cooking.
**Süzme yoğurt (strained yogurt):** - Full-fat Turkish yogurt strained through cloth for 4–8 hours — produces a dense, thick, spreadable yogurt used for haydari, as a dip, and as a component in sauces - More sour and denser than labneh (strained for 24 hours) — the straining time produces a different character **Yogurt as cooking medium:** - Mantar çorbası and many Turkish soups use yogurt as a thickening and souring agent — the same principle as kadhi (IC-06) but with different spice architecture - **Stabilising yogurt for cooking:** A teaspoon of cornstarch or flour beaten into the yogurt before adding to hot liquid prevents curdling. The starch provides the same protein-network protection as in kadhi - [VERIFY] Dagdeviren's specific stabilisation technique **Yogurt as marinade:** - Turkish şiş kebab and chicken preparations use yogurt marinades identical in principle to Indian tandoori marination (IC-21): the lactic acid partially denatures surface proteins; the fat carries spice compounds against the meat surface **Cacık:** - Turkish yogurt, cucumber (grated and squeezed dry), dried mint, garlic, olive oil, ice cold water - The cold water component distinguishes Turkish cacık from Greek tzatziki — cacık is a liquid preparation (a thin, cold sauce/soup), tzatziki is a thick dip - Dried mint specifically — fresh mint is not traditional. The dried mint's more concentrated menthol compounds provide a clean, cool note against the sour yogurt
The Turkish Cookbook