For those of us who like to start the day off right, a bowl of yogurt is a good choice. There’s nothing like preparing a light snack of Greek yogurt with honey drizzled on top and a sprinkling of granola — until you realize it’s actually sour cream. We hear your concerns. This is a comprehensive guide that should help you to never make this mistake again.
First of all, plain yogurt is really just fermented milk, and Greek yogurt has been strained to remove the whey. Sour cream, as the name predicts, is cream that has been fermented. Obviously yogurt and sour cream have been fermented with different bacteria, but we’ll save you the trouble of trying to pronounce their names.
Greek yogurt is not as shiny as sour cream. It is a little dull looking. If sitting for a long period of time, it will separate into a solid and a liquid, with the latter pooling on top. Greek yogurt can even be substituted for cream cheese, if that gives you an idea of its consistency. Sour cream, on the other hand, is shinier and more uniform in texture.
If you’re really unsure, do the spoon test. Greek yogurt won’t slide off of the spoon as easily as sour cream may. Sour cream will form a nice dollop, the way you might find it on the surface of a creamy soup.
Of course, if you really really can’t tell, and you’re brave, take a bite. While they both can taste pretty tart, sour cream will be much richer. Unlike Greek yogurt, which ranges from 100–300 calories per cup, sour cream tends to be more caloric because of its higher fat content.
If this only made you more confused, just ask someone from Bon Appetit.
