It’s hard to believe that Greek yogurt has been in dairy aisles in the United States for over 20 years. However, it wasn’t until 2009 that it began exploding off the shelves.
As Greek yogurt gained popularity in the United States, Steven Ionnou and his nounó (godfather) John Belesis, co-founders of West Babylon, N.Y.-based Nounós Creamery, could not understand why many of the “Greek-style” brands were lacking the richness and flavor of authentic Greek yogurt they loved while growing up in Greece. The pair traveled back to Greece to research and learn the traditional craft of yogurt-making in the hopes of providing a real Greek yogurt experience for people in the United States. They came back with a family recipe and introduced a new authentic Greek yogurt to the dairy aisle.