Perhaps you’ve seen these viral videos of ‘dry yoghurt’—no, not freeze-dried yoghurt, that’s something else entirely. This viral food trend has been taking TikTok and XiaHongShu by storm, garnering a combined view count in the tens of millions.
What is dry yoghurt?
Whilst many of the dry yoghurt content creators name it as such, it also goes by the name of dehydrated yoghurt, though it would be far more accurate to call it cold-compressed yoghurt. Because that’s what it is: yoghurt, compressed in a strainer under low temperatures so as to extract the whey from the finished product!
There are no claims that it’s healthier than typical yoghurt, but it sure does look prettier. The texture is almost like stodgy wet sand, but still soft and malleable!
Tens of millions of views
Originating on the platform XiaoHongShu, these videos have exploded. The videos show the assembly of these dry yoghurt bowls. With a delicate finesse, decorating them with fruits, granola, biscuits, and even chocolate.
Content creators on TikTok then ripped the videos to post on the English-speaking platform, where viewers were left to wonder, how do I acquire this dry yoghurt? Can I make it at home? Will it cost me a bomb? And what, for heaven’s sake, does it taste like?
How to make dry yoghurt?
All you need really, is Greek yoghurt and a yoghurt strainer, which are easy to find on online shopping platforms. If you need a bit of help though, we found the viral strainer that everyone’s using! This specific model of yoghurt strainer is just under RM45, which is a bit of an investment, but don’t you want a taste of virality?
Tip: Use thicker Greek yoghurt for better, fluffier results!
But how do you get the colours to pop so vibrantly like in the videos? Fruit powders! Again, it’s super easy to find on online shopping platforms. You don’t even have to restrict yourself to just fruit for that gorgeous vibrancy. Blue spirulina for a deep blue, matcha for an earthy green, the options are endless!
Remember, only use solid powders, as any additional liquid will break the consistency of the finished product. Once you’ve mixed in your powders, simply pour your yoghurt mixture into the strainer with a cheesecloth at the bottom, wrap up the yoghurt, screw the lid on, and stick it in the fridge.
The best results come after waiting for a day and a half, but if you’re impatient, wait at least overnight and half a day before unveiling your dry yoghurt.
What to pair dry yoghurt with?
It entirely depends on personal tastes and what powders you’ve mixed into the initial yoghurt mixture before straining.
You can customise your yoghurt bowls with any cereal, cookies, or fruits that you’d like. Our personal favourite has got to be a crispy chocolate biscuit paired with coconut flakes.
But, here are some other quirky and unique recommendations to really elevate that bowl of dry yoghurt.
Decadent tempered chocolate drizzled over the cold yoghurt that freezes up from the temperature, imparting a lovely, cocoa-y crunch when mixed together!
What about sago? Lovely, chewy pearls that pop in your mouth with every bite, offset by the sour twang of the yoghurt.
Sweet Blue Curacao syrup, if you’re looking to slightly rehydrate your bowl of dry yoghurt, imparting a lovely tropical flavour while changing up your basic dry yoghurt.
Feeling peckish yet? Try out this viral food trend in just under two days!
You should also check out: What is “kumpir”? We headed to Bukit Bintang to taste this viral Turkish street food for ourselves!
