Before the advent of refrigeration, the goodness of milk was preserved by fermenting it into yoghourt. Yoghourt is believed to have been discovered by accident, when nomadic herdsmen in the Middle East carrying milk in pouches made of sheep or goat stomachs noticed that the milk had curdled. The lining contains an enzyme called rennin, which curdles milk, and depending on the heat and the bacteria present, the curds would be fine and develop into yoghourt or coarse and become cheese. This occurred in the Balkans centuries ago, and was introduced more widely in Europe during the 18th century from the area around Turkistan.

In Australia, yoghourt became far more popular after World War 1 when many migrants served it in cafes and restaurants, however its popularity, particularly the varieties with viable aBc cultures, has increased dramatically in the past few years.

The word ‘yoghourt’ is of Turkish origin (meaning fermented  or thick milk), although the French ‘yaourt’ is derived from the Bulgarian ‘yaurt’, according to some dictionaries.
 
In India yoghourt is also known as ‘curd’, ‘curds’ or ‘dahi’, while in Nepal it is called ‘dhai’.
 
In Australia, yoghourt’s popularity has been growing steadily since the 1950s, both enjoyed on its own or as an ingredient in an increasing number of meal options. Not surprising really, given the unique creamy texture of 'pot set' Jalna Yoghourts, created from all natural ingredients.