5 places for pure, traditional yoghurt in Athens

Known and sought after around the world, Greek yoghurt brings a taste of tradition and a bucolic essence to the neighbourhoods of Athens.

From Ilioupoli to Omonia and Alimos, and from Kifissia to Kalyvia, lovers of good and authentically traditional yoghurt meet with a spoon in hand.

These are the five most popular urban hangouts in Attica with genuine Greek yoghurt.

Bakoyannis Family

The rice milk, its creams (vanilla and chocolate) and its famous kaimaki ice cream often give us the incentive to wander to the southern suburbs, passing the threshold of this small, traditional dairy with a long family history.

But it's fresh sheep's yoghurt made from 100% Greek milk (ripened naturally), which gives us extra reasons to love even more the art and passion of the Bakoyannis family.

Without additives, without a trace of chemical yeast and other preservatives, these yoghurts are made with respect to the old, traditional techniques. The shop only operates when there is fresh sheep's milk, which is why it closes for the summer, from mid-July to mid-October.

15 Chrysostomou Smyrnis, Ilioupoli, tel. 210 9736971

Varsos

The historical dairy of the northern suburbs, with a tradition and passion for making fresh Greek yoghurt since 1892, has continuously filled our refrigerators all these years with sheep and cow yoghurt (with primary yoghurt yeast and with 3.6% fat).

For those of us who prefer to consume yoghurt without preservatives and with its skin, Varsos does not spoil us here either, offering us its clay packaging.

Otherwise, their yoghurts - as well as their famous creams - can be enjoyed in the classic, retro plastic cases with the red, old-fashioned logo, which for years now, has appeared classily on the sign on the pedestrian street of Kassaveti in the heart of Kifisio.

If you have time, sit at the tables inside or outside in its green courtyard.

5 Kassaveti, Kifissia, tel. 210 801 2472

Magginas

With love and passion for genuine Greek yoghurt made with the dairy knowledge and history of the Magina family.

The outside sign of the store reads under the Magginas brand, the following product array, which easily makes passers-by, as well as old, familiar customers, stop without a second thought: "Feta-Yoghurt-Butter, produced by us".

The family takes the matter of yoghurt very seriously: Sheep, cow, mixed, goat and strained yoghurt from 100% Greek milk and with the seal of the livestock tradition of many generations.

The culinary repertoire is completed by creams, rice milk, and handmade tzatziki in 10-kg and 450-gram packages.

41 28th of October, Kalyvia Attica, tel. 22990 48551

Stani

Memory and tradition in a shop that retrieves sweet recipes, flavours and aromas from past decades, bringing the delicacies of Stani to a retro urban environment in the centre of Athens.

Since 1931, the original dairy has been offering products that stand out for their quality, with the traditional cow and sheep yoghurt having even won awards, such as the gold medal at the Thessaloniki International Fair and a patent (for the sheep).

The rich, creamy yoghurt recipe has remained unchanged for over 80 years. Some, after all, say that the secret of its success lies in the milk collected from the same farm for more than five decades.

Be that as it may, the aroma of fresh milk and the velvety texture of yoghurt are what make Stani a destination for all of us who always want delivery to the table and in our fridge!

10 Marikas Kotopoulis, Athens, tel. 21 0523 3637

Lousi

Since 1935, it has been strengthening Greek dairy culture and tradition, reminding us of the unsurpassed values of local animal husbandry.

Using the same old traditional recipes of sheep's, cow's and goat's yoghurt, "LOUSI" is beloved by all who have been.

Small livestock units from Rodopoli, Agios Stefanos, Stamata, Marathonas, Varnavas, Kapandriti, etc., supply the dairy with their milk every day, bringing the tradition, literally, from the meadow to the refrigerator.

Away from powders and ready-made industrial mixtures, away from meaningless novelties and unnecessary additions.

In the refrigerators of the "LOUSI" stores (four in total, one in Kalamata and three in Attica), you can also find the traditional Greek vanilla cream with fresh cow's milk (chocolate is also available) as well as rice milk.

6 Serifou Street, Alimos (gas station), tel. 210 9850682

Loukia Chrisovitsanou is a columnist for Cantina. Translated by Paul Antonopoulos. 

READ MORE: Mavri Thalassa: The Thessalonians who made eating fish go viral on social media.