Greek Yogurt vs Skyr vs Labneh (and Quark): The Strained Dairy Family Explained

Greek yogurt belongs to a family of foods that solve the same problem the same way: take fermented milk and remove water to make it denser, richer in protein and longer-lasting. Skyr in Iceland, labneh across the Levant and quark in central Europe are cousins, not copies. They differ in the microbes used, whether rennet is involved, how far they are drained and what is added at the end.

The strained-dairy family: typical protein and fat per 100 g.

The family at a glance

	Greek yogurt	Skyr	Labneh	Quark
Origin	Greece, Balkans, Anatolia	Iceland (Norse settlers)	Levant, Eastern Mediterranean	Germany, Central and Eastern Europe
Cultures	Thermophilic yogurt cultures (S. thermophilus, L. bulgaricus)	Skyr cultures (historically thermophilic, similar to yogurt), often with rennet	Yogurt cultures	Mesophilic cheese cultures, usually with a little rennet
Milk	Cow (industrial), sheep or goat (traditional)	Skimmed cow	Cow, sheep or goat	Skimmed cow
Method	Ferment, then strain	Ferment with cultures and rennet, then strain	Ferment, salt, then strain long	Ferment, cut curd, drain
Legal status	Cheese? No, yogurt (Greece)	Classified as cheese in Iceland, sold as yogurt abroad	Cheese or yogurt depending on country	Fresh cheese
Typical protein	9–10 g/100 g	10–11 g/100 g	8–12 g/100 g (varies with draining)	11–14 g/100 g
Typical fat	0–10%	0–0.5%	5–15%	0–40% (sold by grade)
Salt	None	None	Yes, usually	None
Flavour	Tangy, clean, rich at higher fat	Milder, slightly sweeter, very dense	Tangy and salty, spreadable	Mild, faintly sour, neutral

Greek yogurt

Fermented with the two mandatory yogurt bacteria, then drained until it reaches at least 5.6% protein (cow's milk) under Greek law. No rennet, no salt, no thickeners. It is the most versatile of the four because it is sold at every fat level from 0% to 10% and because it has no added salt, so it goes equally into a dessert and a dip. The whole story is in What is Greek yogurt?.

Skyr

Skyr arrived in Iceland with Norse settlers more than a thousand years ago and was, until recently, made with skimmed milk left over from butter-making. It is cultured with skyr starter, traditionally set with a small amount of rennet, and strained hard, which is why Icelanders classify it as a fresh cheese even though it eats like yogurt. Producers such as siggi's say it takes about four times as much milk as unstrained yogurt. Compared with Greek yogurt it is almost always fat-free, a little higher in protein and noticeably milder because the rennet speeds setting before much acid develops. In the United States and Europe it is marketed as "Icelandic-style yogurt", which is a fair description of how it is used rather than how it is made.

Labneh

Labneh (also labne, lebni) is yogurt that has been salted and drained for a long time, usually 12 to 48 hours, until it is spreadable like soft cheese. The salt both seasons and preserves. At the firm end it is rolled into balls and kept under olive oil for months. Because it is salted, labneh is a savoury product: breakfast with olive oil and za'atar, a base for dips, a filling for flatbread. The fat content is typically higher than Greek yogurt because it is made from whole or enriched milk and because draining concentrates the fat along with the protein. You can make a passable labneh by salting Greek yogurt lightly and straining it a further day; the method is in How to make Greek yogurt at home.

Quark

Quark is where the family crosses into cheese. It is made with mesophilic cultures (the ones used for cottage cheese and sour cream) and a little rennet, at room temperature rather than the 42–45 °C of yogurt, and the curd is drained or separated. It has the highest protein of the four at low fat and a very neutral taste, which is why German and Austrian baking uses it the way other cuisines use cream cheese or ricotta. The texture is slightly grainy compared with the smooth gel of Greek yogurt. In the UK it is sold as a low-fat cheese; in Germany it is a staple in several fat grades.

Which to use

• Eating plain with fruit or honey: Greek yogurt (5%) or skyr if you want it lean.

• High-protein breakfast at the lowest calories: skyr or 0% Greek yogurt; quark if you like it.

• Dips, spreads, savoury breakfast: labneh, or Greek yogurt if you want to control salt.

• Baking (cheesecakes, strudel fillings, muffins): quark or Greek yogurt; skyr works in a pinch.

• Marinades and sauces: Greek yogurt; labneh if the dish wants salt and richness.

• Lower lactose: all four are lower than milk because whey is drained; labneh and quark, drained longest, tend to be lowest. See Is Greek yogurt lactose-free?.

A note on names

Marketing has blurred the lines. "Icelandic yogurt" that is cultured with ordinary yogurt bacteria and thickened with protein powder is neither skyr nor Greek yogurt; "Greek-style" products that are not strained are not Greek yogurt either. The same three label checks apply to every member of the family: a short ingredient list, protein of 9 g or more per 100 g for the strained ones, and an honest origin statement. See Authentic Greek yogurt vs Greek-style.

Disclaimer. This article is general information, not medical or dietary advice. Nutrition values are typical figures and vary by brand and batch; always read the label. Talk to a doctor or registered dietitian before changing your diet if you have a medical condition or manage an allergy or intolerance.

Sources

• USDA FoodData Central, Greek yogurt entries: nonfat (FDC 330137), whole milk (FDC 2259794)

• siggi's, on skyr and the milk required to make it: siggis.com

• Greek Food and Beverages Code, Article 82: aade.gr (PDF)

• Wikipedia, Yogurt (strained yogurt varieties by region): en.wikipedia.org