The Surprising Jewish History Behind Yogurt's Global Rise
Translated & summarized from Jüdische Allgemeine by baba
The global popularity of yogurt is significantly linked to Jewish contributions, particularly from doctors and entrepreneurs. Ilja Iljitsch Metschnikow's research on aging and yogurt's health benefits in the early 20th century inspired Isaac Carasso, a Sephardic Jew, to start industrial yogurt production in Barcelona in 1919 under the brand Danone. His son, Daniel Carasso, later established Danone in France and the U.S., transforming yogurt into a widely consumed dessert. Today, Danone is a major multinational corporation with a 20% stake in Israel's Strauss Group, which has led to some boycott calls.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Yogurt's global popularity is significantly tied to Jewish doctors and entrepreneurs who introduced and popularized it in the West.
- Bacteriologist Ilja Iljitsch Metschnikow linked yogurt consumption to longevity, sparking scientific interest and public demand.
- Isaac Carasso, inspired by Metschnikow, began industrial yogurt production in Barcelona in 1919, founding the Danone brand.
- His son, Daniel Carasso, successfully marketed yogurt as a dessert in France and expanded the business to the United States.
- The modern Danone company holds a 20% stake in Israel's Strauss Group, leading to some boycott calls.
- Mel Brooks, a filmmaker known for incorporating Jewish themes, featured a character named "Yogurt" in his 1987 film Spaceballs.
The widespread popularity of yogurt in the West has a significant, though often overlooked, Jewish history, driven by the efforts of two Jewish doctors and a Sephardic entrepreneur. While yogurt's origins are traced back to the Neolithic Middle East, where milk fermented naturally into a more durable food, it was a staple in the Balkans, Caucasus, and Central Asia long before reaching the West. Ancient Greeks and Romans consumed it, with Pliny noting its "tart taste."
The word "yogurt" derives from the Turkish "yoğurmak," meaning "to thicken." In Jewish cuisine of the Middle East, fermented milk was a common ingredient in soups, sauces, and drinks, or thickened into labneh. "Yogurt is to the Sephardim what sour cream is to the Ashkenazim," notes cookbook author Claudia Roden, though regular consumption does not automatically make a food "Jewish."
The specific Jewish contribution lies in yogurt's journey to the West and its subsequent diversification and popularity. One account, though embellished, suggests Western Europe's first encounter with yogurt came when Sultan Süleyman sent a Jewish physician from Constantinople to treat French King Francis I's intestinal ailment. The physician reportedly traveled with a flock of sheep, refusing to ride on the Sabbath, and the king's recovery was attributed to the fresh yogurt.
A more documented influence came from bacteriologist and gerontologist Ilja Iljitsch Metschnikow, a Nobel laureate who, while researching aging, linked the longevity of Bulgarians to their yogurt consumption. His book, "The Prolongation of Life," posited that lactic acid bacteria in yogurt could combat intestinal self-poisoning, a theory he believed caused aging. This sparked a trend, transforming yogurt from a peasant food into a subject of scientific study.
Isaac Carasso, born in Saloniki, a major Sephardic Jewish center, was inspired by Metschnikow's research. After moving to Barcelona in 1916, he noticed widespread intestinal issues among children. Using lactic acid cultures imported from Bulgaria and the Pasteur Institute, he began industrial yogurt production in 1919, initially selling it by prescription in pharmacies under the brand name "Danone," a nickname for his son Daniel.
Daniel Carasso expanded the business, first in Marseille and then in Paris, where he initially marketed yogurt as a pill before successfully rebranding it as a healthy dessert. Fleeing to the United States during World War II, he renamed his American venture Dannon. After the war, he returned to Europe, growing Danone into a global brand. The company, now a multinational food-products corporation, merged with BSN in 1973 and became Danone. It sells a wide range of products, including mineral water and baby food. Danone holds a 20% stake in Israel's Strauss Group and has invested in Israeli startups, leading to some boycott calls, particularly after October 7, 2023, despite the company not being on official BDS lists.