US EditionScientists Used Ants to Make Yogurt. Diners in a Michelin-Starred Restaurant Ate It
Danish researchers revived a Balkan yogurt tradition using live red wood ants, revealing a diverse microbial fermentation lost in industrial yogurt, with chefs creating new dishes from it.
- Researchers from the University of Copenhagen and Technical University of Denmark reported in iScience on October 3, 2025, that they recreated a nearly forgotten yogurt recipe using live red wood ants.
- Following local memories, researchers traveled to a Bulgarian village where Sevgi Mutlu Sirakova's relatives recalled a yogurt-making tradition once common in the Balkans and Turkey.
- Laboratory tests showed Formica ants transfer lactic and acetic acid bacteria including Fructilactobacillus sanfranciscensis, while ant-derived formic acid and proteases acidify milk to about pH 5 by morning with formic acid at 1-2.5 g/L.
- Chefs at Copenhagen's two-star Michelin restaurant Alchemist served ant-inspired dishes while researchers noted live ants can harbor parasites and EU rules classify Formica ants as novel foods.
- The study suggests broader lessons about multispecies food fermentation, as Danish researchers say bacteria from ant yogurt could be cultured independently to preserve microbial heritage for potential dairy and plant-based applications.
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37 Articles
Would you eat yogurt made with ants? Scientists did
In a remarkable blend of science and tradition, researchers have revived an old Balkan and Turkish yogurt-making technique that uses ants as natural fermenters. The ants’ bacteria, acids, and enzymes transform milk into a rich, tangy yogurt while showcasing the diversity and complexity lost in modern, industrialized yogurt strains.
Old tradition of making yoghurt with creepy-crawly help proven true
Scientists have recreated a nearly forgotten yoghurt-making tradition using a key ingredient: ants."Today's yogurts are typically made with just two bacterial strains," study senior author Leonie Jahn from the Technical University of Denmark said."If you look at traditional yogurt, you have much bigger biodiversity, varying based on location, households, and season. That brings more flavours, textures, and personality."READ MORE: Alleged gunman…
The magazine 'iScience' collects a research that revives an ancestral recipe from the Balkans and takes it from the villages to the haute cuisine. "We have rescued a biocultural heritage that reminds us that innovation is not always in laboratories, but in communities," says a scientist.
Scientists Used Live Ants In Milk Fermentation. The Result Was Tangy 'Yogurt'
Red wood ants carry the same bacteria that makes San Francisco sourdough bread. Now scientists have rediscovered how villagers in Turkey and Bulgaria once used these insects to ferment yogurt. The post Scientists Used Live Ants In Milk Fermentation. The Result Was Tangy ‘Yogurt’ appeared first on Study Finds.
Scientists used ants to make yogurt. Diners in a Michelin-starred restaurant ate it
Ice cream, mascarpone and milk-washed cocktails may sound like simple pleasures — but the ones served at a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Denmark contained a little extra something: ants.
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