Yogurt stirs chefs’ creativity

Fermented milk may seem like an unlikely food to catch on with U.S. diners, but not long ago few predicted many diners, especially kids, would become hooked on raw fish and rice rolls.

Yogurt, fermented milk coagulated into a creamy mass, is “the food of the day,” says Harry Balzer, chief industry analyst and vice president at The NPD Group, a Port Washington, N.Y.-based research firm. He says it appeals to a broad market of men, women and children. It is portable and has a “healthy