While visiting friends in Tokyo I was introduced to a peculiar type of yoghurt called Caspian Sea Yoghurt. Apparantly my friend's mother obtained the original culture from an agricultuaral researcher who brought it back from an expedition to the Caspian Sea. It's quite different from the Balkan style yoghurt we're used to in the west. The flavour is smoother, with minimal tanginess, and it has a runnier consistency which reminds me of melted marshmellows. I love it plain or with berries. My friends have it with maple syrup (Canadian influence). Here's what Wiki has to say about it: In Japan, Caspian Sea Yoghurt is a very popular homemade yoghurt. It is believed to have been introduced into the country by researchers in a sample brought back from Georgia in the Caucasus region in 1986. This Georgian yoghurt, called Matsoni, is mostly made up of Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris and Acetobacter orientalis and has a uniquely viscous, honey-like texture and is milder in taste than many other yoghurts. Caspian Sea yoghurt is well-suited for making yoghurt at home because it require no special equipment and cultures at room temperature (20–30°C) in about 10 to 15 hours, depending on the temperature. In Japan, freeze-dried starter cultures are sold in big department stores or online, although many people obtain starter cultures from friends as well.
