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Emmi Swiss-style yogurt is a favorite among many because of its silky texture and tang-free, pudding quality.
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Product Reviews / Main Nibbles / Cheese-Butter-YogurtEmmi Swiss Premium YogurtA “Culture” With A Cult Following
CAPSULE REPORT: Emmi gets quite a buzz in foodie chat rooms and bulletin boards. We like it, but it’s a mass-produced Swiss yogurt: better than most mass-produced American yogurts, but not as good as our fine artisanal yogurts. At $1.89 for a scant 5.3 ounces, you pay the same or less for a much better yogurt, and more of it. So, taste Emmi; experience its subtle, delicate, flavor profile; see what the buzz is about. You may become a convert—but don’t overlook the other fine yogurts we’ve reviewed. Emmi is not an artisanal yogurt: its parent company, Emmi International Ltd. of Lucerne, is the largest cheese company in Switzerland. Like being the biggest tea company in China, that says something. If you listen to the buzz in foodie chat rooms, Emmi is the putative queen of the commercial yogurts, beloved by legions for whom the most exciting food happening of the year is the arrival of Emmi in their city. What makes Emmi, which retails at twice the price of other perfectly fine yogurts, their darling? As an import, Emmi is made for European tastes; and Europeans tend to have more cultured (no pun intended—well, maybe) palates. They prefer finesse to excess. Most commercial yogurts include pectin or gelatin as a thickener—some are so thick you can stand a spoon up in them, and some even intentionally advertise this as an attribute. If you didn’t read the label, you wouldn't know Emmi was bulked up. What people love about this brand is the light and supple texture—you could almost pour it on top of fruit salad, cereal or pound cake. Perhaps there’s magic in the top-grade Alpine milk from which the yogurt is made. Second are the fruit flavorings—not overly-sweet like some commercial brands that target sugar-loaded Americans; but underplayed, subtle. Even though Emmi doesn’t use natural flavors, they seem that way. Perhaps another attraction is that lower sugar, low fat (just 1.6% milk fat), plus a smaller size container (5.3 ounces compared to the typical 6 to 8 ounce American cups) equate to just 143 to 147 calories per container (92 for plain, 167 for Birchermüesli). Compared to Yoplaît or Dannon (both owned by European companies, by the way), it looks like a good deal. Emmi also includes the beneficial Lactobacillus acidophilus. Subtle FlavorsAs mentioned, Emmi’s flavors lean to the subtle. The delicate flavoring and silky texture define the uniqueness of this yogurt. Some people will prefer graceful Emmi, some will seek more punch. In addition to plain yogurt, flavors include Apricot (the most delicate); Blueberry and Strawberry (delicate); Pink Grapefruit (medium-delicate); Birchermüesli, Black Cherry and Raspberry (standard full flavor). While we appreciate the finesse, our palate leans more to more expressive flavors; thus we found Black Cherry and Raspberry the most interesting. Pink Grapefruit has real pieces of fruit (5% grapefruit, per the label). We’d never encountered a grapefruit yogurt before and we like grapefruit; so we enjoyed it, will buy it again, and only wish for a tad more grapefruit oomph. The fruit, grain and nut mix-ins give lively flavor to Birchermüesli; but as in all yogurts, the grains get rubbery from their long swim. Plain is particularly noteworthy—a distinctive plain yogurt with fresh-from-the-dairy flavor that has a barely discernable hint of tang. There’s no reason to remain neutral like Switzerland on the topic of Emmi. Try it for yourself. It may be just the style you’re looking for—if not for everyday, then for variety. Or at least to have your first taste of grapefruit yogurt.
Prices may vary by retailer. Price and flavor availability are verified at publication but are subject to change.
© Copyright 2005-2008 Lifestyle Direct, Inc. All rights reserved. Images are the copyright of their respective owners.
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