Yoghurts and Creams
By Vivek Kishore, Reg. No.: IIHM14AHM054

Yoghurt – its true origins haven’t been found out yet. What we do know about it is that it was used during the pre-historic times. It was believed that yoghurt was first discovered by a shepherd who preserved his milk in containers made from animal hides and stomachs and forgot about it. And when he finally remembered, he found that it changed its form to yoghurt.

Yoghurt is a fermented milk product which is produced by controlled fermentation of milk by several bacteria. The bacteria - Lactobacillus and Streptococcus – are responsible for breaking down sugars present in milk to lactic acid. In short, yoghurt is fermented milk, in which fermentation where fermentation is carried out by bacteria which produces lactic acid.
The production of yoghurt may seem simple, but it has to be produced in a totally controlled atmosphere. First of all, the milk which is going to be used for production of yoghurt is pasteurized. This is done in order to help the cultures remain alive after fermentation to act as probiotics. The milk is homogenized to get the right consistency and then it is rapidly cooled to 42oC. The starter cultures are then added to the milk and is left for incubation for around 6 hours. During this period, the milk is becomes acidic and the fermentation is stopped by cooling the mixture below 7oC. Flavours are added at this stage to make varieties of yoghurt and are then sent for packaging. Youghurt must be consumed within 40 days of production and should be stored at 2-4oC. The above technique is used for commercial purposes. For making homemade yoghurt, there are many methods of producing as it goes according to one’s needs and taste.
Coming over to cream, we know that cream is nothing but the liquid milk fats procured from milk, skimmed milk, concentrated milk, dry whole milk or non-fat dry milk. The only criteria is that cream must contain at least 18n percent fat from milk. Cream has many production techniques depending on the type off cream we want to produce. However, most creams are produced by centrifugation force, in which milk is rotated at high speeds due to which the milk fat globules separate.
Cream should be stored in a refrigerator for not more than a week. Although cream is made from fat, it is not the only nutrient available in cream. Cream also contains Vitamin A, riboflavin and calcium.
After reading this essay, we come to know how both – yoghurt and creams – have originated and how they are produced. We can conclude that due to its nutritional content, yoghurt is a very healthy product. Creams and Yoghurts are very essential in the kitchen and are commonly used in numerous dishes just as its source – milk.