Dairy. The base of ice-cream, yogurt, alfredo sauce, as well as a key ingredient to a majority of baked goods. Some would call it an essential. I, on the other hand, would consider it a sinful pleasure. I love the taste, but my body lacks the enzymes to process it. It literally pains me to eat it. Although there are dairy-free alternatives, they struggle to compare to good ol’ dairy. Nevertheless, I am always looking out for new things to try. So, when I found out about almond milk yogurt, I was pretty excited.
In my search for worthy alternatives, I found Kite Hill yogurt. After my initial feeling of excitement subsided, I was a little skeptical. My favorite regular and Greek yogurts were Noose and Wallaby yogurts, respectively, so I feared that Kite Hill would not compare. However, I decided to try it, choosing strawberry as the flavor for both of their Greek and original style offerings.
A Little About Kite Hill
Kite Hill produces a variety of dairy-free products using almonds as a base, including yogurt, pasta, cheese, and milk. They uphold sustainable values, and strive to reduce their environmental impact “compared to that of the average dairy operation.” To accomplish this, they utilize “traditional cheese-making techniques” using nut milk, rather than the traditional alternative.
Raising Concerns
The yogurt aisle was bustling with people looking for their favorite brands and flavors. I used to be one of them… head over heels for yogurt, so when Kite Hill’s products caught my eye, I was very intent on trying them. I wanted to love them just as much as I loved regular yogurt, but I was skeptical about their consistency and flavor. What if they were too soupy? Or too almond-y? Looking back, I was just hoping for something that would resemble what I used to love. I didn’t want to be disappointed. So, when I got home from the store, I opened them up.
First Impressions
Okay, so I was kind of surprised. I opened them up, and they were both really fluid. I think that, without stirring them, if they were placed in identical containers, I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. After I stirred them up, the regular style thickened up, but the Greek style’s consistency remained relatively the same. I was expecting the opposite to happen, that the regular style’s consistency would barely change, but the Greek’s would be a lot thicker. I was wrong. Other than that, the feeling when I peeled back the lid and stirred it up was both satisfying and nostalgic.
The Taste Test
To say the least, I was skeptical after seeing the consistencies. But, I mean, I couldn’t complain. It was the closest alternative that I had to the real thing. So, I began my taste test with the regular style yogurt.
First impression? YIKES. It was so fluid that it was difficult to keep it from dripping! On top of that, the flavor wasn’t too impressive, as the almond taste was more recognizable than the strawberry. I could see what they were trying to do, but I think that I was left relatively disappointed after having such high initial hopes. After a few more spoon fulls, the flavor grew on me. I was pretty excited from that point on. I finally found an alternative to yogurt that I genuinely came to enjoy.
Moving on to the Greek style, I was pretty excited for it. Although the original caught me off guard initially, I eventually began to enjoy it. I was hoping that this was the case with the Greek style, but, alas. The Greek style was aggressively flavored and lacked the texture of ordinary Greek yogurt. The strawberry flavor was so distant from the regular style, that I was in disbelief. Further, the consistency and texture were just off. After a few bites and still being unimpressed, I threw it away.
Conclusion
So, clearly, not all yogurt alternatives are for me. Although I didn’t enjoy both styles, I will definitely re-purchase their regular one. Kite Hill offers a wide array of flavors that I can’t wait to try. It took a little time to get used to, but eventually, I learned to love it! So, if you’re struggling with a dairy restriction, or you’re just curious, I suggest you try this, because if you don’t, well, that’s just nuts.