I first came across Greek yogurt when I was traveling around the Mediterranean about 5 years ago. It was towards the end of the trip. I was in Istanbul staying in the Oriental, a little youth hostel in the Sultanahmet section of town. The hostel had a restaurant on the third floor that had a commanding view of the Bosporus. I would sit up just after sunrise, watch the ships go by and enjoy a leisurely breakfast that almost every day had a good portion of lovely Greek yogurt.

The yogurt is rich, thick and creamy, probably really fatty too, but what the fuck did I care? I was walking more than 10 miles a day. It's incredibly sour and I can't imagine eating it straight, but with the magic touch of a little, it turns into something incredibly sublime. Breakfast quickly became my favorite part of the week or so I spent hanging around Istanbul.

When I returned home, I thought I add my new discovery into my own culinary routine. I went to the market, grabbed and tub of vanilla yogurt and jar of honey, but when I got home and mixed, there was no magic, there was just a sticky mess of yogurt encrusted honey crystals. I tried a few more times, but eventually gave up.

One of the best things about returning to California after the spending the winter in Vail was access to Trader Joe's. Around the time I started shopping at TJ's again, they started carrying Greek yogurt. At first they had a brand called FAGE which is actually made in Greece. They had two kinds, one with a little pocket of honey that could be easily added and one without.

At first I bought the one with the honey because, well, it was easier, but it was also more expensive. So then I started buying the larger one without the honey. But TJ's didn't sell jars of Greek honey. The first honey I tried, which I think was clover, didn't work. It totally crystallized. The next one I tired, the mesquite, blended perfectly. It was delicious and I was so happy. Then they stopped carrying the yogurt.

I was couldn't believe it. The yogurt was so popular. There was always a chance you could in the store and it would be out of stock. I called TJ's customer service to find out what was going on. They said their distributor in Greece was having some problems and they were trying to work an alternate source. They eventually did. Themselves.

They started producing their own "Mediterranean Style" yogurt. It was just as good if not better than the FAGE stuff. And now FAGE has sorted out its problems and TJ's carries both. It's pure bliss for a yogurt lover.