TOTAL GREEK YOGHURT REVIEW

I was sent some Total Greek yoghurt to sample and use in my cooking. Here's my long overdue review and some suggestions on how to use the yoghurt. The top photo is full-fat yoghurt served with honey and was absolutely divine.

Tsatsiki made with Total yoghurt.

Fat-free yoghurt served with jam.

2% fat yoghurt served with complimentary honey.

2% fat with honey.

Total is real Greek yoghurt rather than the cheaper 'Greek-style' yoghurt, and it is strained to remove excess whey, apart from the little 2% tub, I think.

As you can see from the close-ups, the low-fat and fat-free products are less even in consistency. The 2% yoghurt is thicker around the edges of the tub and slightly grainy whereas the full-fat one is beautifully smooth. The non-fat one is evenly thick, though grainy, because it has been strained and has a disk of paper resting on top to prove it but the 2% with the honey one is thinner.

The honey that comes with the snack-size tub is good quality and there's plenty of it.

Flavour-wise all the products are good in their category. I like to use full-fat products so my palate wasn't as keen on the non-fat and 2% ones but they were good compared to similar products. I found the fat-free yoghurt surprisingly creamy, which is probably because it's strained and therefore condensed.

I used the full-fat yoghurt in curries and in a baked cheesecake, replacing half of the cheese with Total. I flavoured the cheesecake with grated marzipan, which may sound slightly strange but the almond was a very good match with the yoghurt.

You shouldn't use low-fat or fat-free yoghurt in anything that's heated up because it may curdle but it's great for dips or non-baked cheesecakes. I also used it to make a layered dessert with shortbread, apricots, pistachios and honey.