A nearly forgotten yogurt recipe common in the Balkans and Turkey has been recreated using ants in Danish research published in the journal iSCience.
The study shows that the bacteria, acids, and enzymes present in ants can boost the fermentation process that turns milk into yogurt. The work highlights how traditional practices can inspire new approaches in food science and even bring creativity to the table.
“Today’s yogurts are often made with just two bacterial strains,” says lead author Leonie Jahn of the Technical University of Denmark. “If we look at traditional yogurt, we see that its biodiversity is much higher, varying by location, household, and season. This adds more flavors, textures, and personality.”
Red wood ants (Formica species) can be found crawling through the forests of the Balkans and Turkey, where this yogurt-making technique was once popular. To better understand how to use these ants to make yogurt, the researchers visited co-author and anthropologist Sevgi Mutlu Sirakova’s family village in Bulgaria, where relatives and other locals remember the tradition.
FOUR ANTS IN A JAR OF MILK
“On the instructions of Sevgi’s uncle and community members, we placed four whole ants in a jar of warm milk,” recalls lead author Veronica Sinotte of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. The jar was then placed in an anthill to ferment overnight. By the next day, the milk had begun to thicken and sour. “That’s an early stage of yogurt, and it tasted like that, too.”
The researchers, who tasted the yogurt, described it as slightly sour, grassy, and with flavors of grass-fed fat.
LACTIC ACID AND ACETIC ACID BACTERIA
Back in Denmark, the team analyzed the science behind ant yogurt. They discovered that ants carry lactic acid and acetic acid bacteria. The acids produced by these bacteria help coagulate the dairy product. One type of these bacteria was similar to that found in commercial sourdough.
The insects themselves also contribute to the yogurt-making process. Formic acid, which is part of the ants’ natural chemical defense system, acidifies the milk, affects its texture, and likely creates an environment conducive to the development of acidophilic yogurt microbes, according to the researchers. The ant enzymes and microbes work together to break down milk proteins and turn it into yogurt.
The researchers compared yogurts made with live, frozen, and dried ants. Only live ants generated the right microbial community, meaning they are best suited for yogurt making. However, the team concluded that caution was necessary to ensure the safe consumption of ant products: live ants can harbor parasites, and freezing or dehydrating ants can sometimes allow harmful bacteria to proliferate.
To test the contemporary culinary possibilities of ant yogurt, the team partnered with the chefs at Alchemist, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Copenhagen, Denmark, who put a modern twist on traditional yogurt. They served diners a variety of creations, including ant-shaped yogurt ice cream sandwiches, spicy mascarpone cheeses, and clarified milk cocktails, all inspired by ant yogurt and using the insect as a key ingredient.
