What Makes Australian Yogurt Different From Any Other Type

In an overstuffed yogurt aisle full of dozens of choices, it's actually hard to know which kind to get (aside from just price). One of the more niche (but still great) yogurts is Australian yogurt. But what that could possibly even mean? Is it made from kangaroo milk or something?

Well, not quite. Australian yogurt is just made in a slightly different way. "Traditional yogurt," let's call it, is made by culturing milk, heating it, adding in more bacterial cultures, and not straining it. This creates the not-quite-thick-not-quite runny yogurt we know and love from yogurt makers like Yoplait, Brown Cow, and Stonyfield. Greek yogurt generally follows the same steps but involves straining out most of the liquid, hence its thickness and higher protein content per serving. 

Australian yogurt is like traditional yogurt as it's not strained, but it is cooked longer and slower. It also typically uses whole milk, which creates an exceptionally creamy yogurt. It's not quite as thick as Greek yogurt, but has a bit more body than traditional yogurt. It's a nice Goldilocks consistency, particularly for those that find Greek yogurt too thick and regular yogurt too runny. "Velvety" is a good way to describe it.  

It is surprising how many different countries seem to have their own slightly different yogurts, from French to Greek to Icelandic skyr. (Fun fact: Skyr is technically a cheese since curds form in the process of making it.) But what makes Australian yogurt specifically Australian?

Colorado-based Noosa is probably the most well-known Aussie-style yogurt in the United States, though the brand also jazzes its yogurts up with honey and fruit; leaning into how decadent and dessert-like Australian yogurt can be. The founder of Noosa found a fruity tub of creamy passionfruit yogurt in a place called Noosa and decided it was so good they needed to bring it to America. That's a genuinely good origin story, but it doesn't explain much since this style of yogurt isn't actually all that common in Australia. In fact, the most popular brands in Australia are normal yogurt and Greek yogurt. 

Similar to how "Greek" yogurt isn't really Greek, it's hard to say "Australian" yogurt is really Australian. A 2024 taste test done by the Guardian in Australia ironically found the one "Australian-style" contender ranked quite low. The Aussies who tasted said it was far too rich, creamy, and weirdly sweet. It also listed cream as an ingredient, something you'd typically find as an ingredient in Greek yogurt. The origins of Australian yogurt are honestly a bit murky, but whatever you call it, it's creamy and sweet.