This coconut milk-based ‘health drink’ is the product of a study done by researcher Virginia Sotto of the Marinduque State College (MSC) in Boac town.
The research, titled "Acceptability of ‘niyoghurt’ as a Nourishing and Slimming Beverage", won second prize in the 16th regional symposium on R&D highlights of the Southern Tagalog Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (STARRDEC) held last Aug. 15 in Los Baños, Laguna.
STARRDEC is one of the 14 government regional R&D consortia coordinated by the Los Baños-based Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD).
The MSC study aimed to develop "niyoghurt" as a nourishing and slimming beverage using flavorings such as pandan, pineapple, vanilla, and calamansi.
It also evaluated "niyoghurt’s" acceptability when compared with commercial yoghurt. (Yoghurt or yogurt is a fermented slightly acid semisolid food made of whole and skimmed cow’s milk and milk solids to which cultures of two bacteria – Lactobacillus bulgaricus and streptococcus thermophilus – have been added.)
Four series were made using a variety of flavors.
Sotto reported that in terms of general acceptability, niyoghurt with pandan flavor and with pineapple were rated "excellent", while those flavored with vanilla and calamansi were graded "good".
For texture, pandan-flavored niyoghurt got a perfect (Excellent) rating from the evaluators. The calamansi-flavored was rated "fair". – Rudy A. Fernandez