The Turkish pantry

Yogurt (plain)

A soft, tangy yogurt for sauces, soups and everyday cooking. Choose plain full-fat yogurt and check which milk it contains.

Last updated: 18 October 2026

This is a form overview for plain full-fat unstrained dairy yogurt. The recipe ingredient does not specify the milk animal. Cow, sheep and goat milk remain distinct choices; the photograph-like illustration cannot identify the milk source. Strained yogurt is a separate form.

A hand holds a spoon in soft white yogurt in a cream bowl with a red rim.

Types & forms

Plain full-fat, unstrained

Unsweetened yogurt with a softer consistency than strained yogurt. Read both the milk source and fat information.

Set or stirred

A set yogurt holds a delicate gel; stirring breaks it into a softer texture. Neither label by itself identifies the milk animal.

Strained or sweetened · comparison

Strained yogurt is thicker; sweetened and flavored products bring extra ingredients. They are not the plain unstrained form specified here.

Cow-milk yogurt

Cow milk is one possible source. Match the milk source named by the recipe; fat content and thickness are separate label details.

What to look for when buying

Look for plain or sade, full-fat or tam yağlı, and the actual milk source on the label. Check the ingredients for sweeteners, flavorings and other additions.
Choose a sealed chilled container and follow its use-by and storage directions. Pick a pack size you can use without repeated long periods outside the refrigerator.
Dairy yogurt contains milk; choosing another animal’s milk does not establish an allergy-safe substitute.

Prepare & cook

Stir gently when the recipe needs a smooth sauce. Measure the yogurt in the form the recipe specifies; do not drain it first unless instructed.
For a hot yogurt soup or sauce, follow the recipe’s tempering and heat instructions. Adding cold yogurt straight to a rapidly boiling mixture may split the sauce.

Store it well

Keep refrigerated at 40°F or below. Follow the product’s opening instructions and date; use clean utensils and return the container promptly to the refrigerator.
Discard yogurt with visible mold rather than scraping the top. A little separated whey alone is not mold; always consider the date, storage history and other signs of spoilage.

Substitutions depend on the dish

Another plain full-fat yogurt

Match the milk source if specified. Tanginess and thickness vary; make texture adjustments only as the recipe directs.

Strained yogurt

It changes the thickness. Use a recipe that allows it rather than assuming the same amount gives the same soup or sauce.

Nutrition

Example: plain whole cow’s-milk yogurt, unstrained ^[1]

Per 100 g edible portion
Nutrient	Amount
Energy	61 kcal
Protein	3.47 g
Total fat	3.25 g
Saturated fat	2.1 g
Carbohydrate	4.66 g
Dietary fiber	0 g
Total sugars	4.66 g
Sodium	46 mg
Cholesterol	13 mg
Calcium	121 mg
Iron	0.05 mg
Potassium	155 mg
Vitamin D	0.1 µg

This USDA record is one named cow’s-milk example, not a universal value for every milk source or product. It does not specify the milk used in a recipe. Check your own product label. Values are rounded for readability; “not reported” does not mean zero. A “<” value is below the source’s measurement limit.

Nutrition values come from the reference source named above. They are published reference values, not our own measurements. Actual products and cooking methods may change the values.

At the Turkish table

The linked recipes use this broad plain-yogurt identity. They do not establish a single milk source for Turkish yogurt cooking. Check each recipe’s preparation before choosing the product.