The Austrian soy-dairy brand Joya landed on UK shores last month, with sales going live in Sainsburys. Produced in Vienna, Joya has been on the market since 2002 and is big in Austria, Germany and 30 other countries. The UK launch includes plain and fruity yoghurts, with plans to bring soya shakes over here too. We grabbed a fruity selection to see how they compared to our current UK favourites.
The leading distinction for Joya is that their soya beans are European grown, rather than South American. The Joya range in Europe includes grain milks and nut milks, tofu and soy creams. We have to say that we think the branding looks a little amateur to our eyes, but it's the product that counts.
These products are genuine lacto-cultured yoghurts, but they do include thickeners and stabilisers. Despite this they're on the runny side and will drip off your spoon given half a chance. We found the texture a tiny bit starchy too, compared to creamier brands like Alpro/Provamel. The fruityness and sweetness are pitched about right.
These are good yoghurts compared to what was on the market 10 or 15 years ago, but they're not quite a match for the current market leaders over here. There are far worse products on sale in the UK however, like Soyage and Wot No Dairy, so Joya still qualifies as a premium yoghurt.
If you're looking for European grown soya, and you like the flavours on offer, give the Joya Soya range a try for yourself.
Verdict: The Joy of Soy
Veganoo Score: ★★★☆☆
Joya Soya Yoghurts
Joya Soya Yoghurts
Footnote: Ingredients
Here is the ingredients panel from the pack we reviewed.
I tried the plain one recently.
ReplyDeleteI use plain soya yoghurt as a base to make my own raita/mint yoghurt. I normally buy Alpro but the Soja was cheaper (on offer) and also organic.
I found the plain yoghurt quite bitter, and the soya flavour was more noticeable than the alpro (which is creamy, mild & slightly sweet).
*but*, when you add something to the yoghurt (either mint or you could add some jam or fruit puree/compot etc) it tastes ust fine.
It's definitely one I'll be looking out for in future.
Thanks Phoenix, useful knowledge
DeleteJust compared Joya's ingredients list to Alpro's and I must say that Joya yoghurts seem to be the much better choice. Firstly, there's not tons of sugar, concentrates, stabilisers and other stuff I don't know added, the flavour and sweetness seems to come mainly from the fruit added and not from artificial flavour enhancers. Also, some of the Joya products are organic, which is always a bonus if you are after healthy, natural products (as probably most vegans are). Therefore, I don't see nothing wrong with the Joya range and even if they are a bit more runny than the Alpro or Provamel yoghurts - who cares if that means they are all natural?
ReplyDeleteThat's the same reason that Sojade won our Taste Test for plain yoghurt
DeleteDon`t like the texture and taste of the Joya plain yogurt. I tried adding fruits but that did not make any difference. There was an after taste which i could not identify. Love the Alpro plain yogurt.
ReplyDeleteI did not like the flavour and taste of the Joya plain yogurt, even after adding fruits. there was a distinctive after taste which i could identify.
ReplyDeleteThe Alpro plain yogurt does seem to have a better taste and flavour.
Thanks Susan. We've now reviewed the Joya plain yoghurt separately and we found it a little beany.
DeleteSaw joya plain in Sainsburys the other day so gave it a go. Usually buy Alpro's version which is quite chalky in texture and far too sweet to use in savoury recipes. Must say I am very impressed with the joya version, has a much more natural sour flavour similar to plain natural yogurt, I used in place of soured cream with a chilli and it was great. At last a true alternative to dairy yogurt for milk intolerance family members which the rest of us can enjoy too!
ReplyDeleteAgreed that Alpro 'natural' is on the sweet side, and that plain Joya is more naturally sour. If you're using it in savoury dishes, the Joya is probably better.
DeleteTried the new Alpro strawberry with rhubarb yogurt today.
ReplyDeletethis is the best flavour so far, creamy and not too sweet.
Not as thick as the vanilla yogurt.
It cost a bit more than the vanilla £1.39
We'll look out for it Susan
ReplyDeleteplease, I dont understand. is yougurt cultures vegan or not?
ReplyDeleteYes, yoghurt cultures are vegan. The culture is bacterial and you can make yoghurt easily from the bacteria in the air all around you - just leave some warm soya milk in a warm place and see for yourself. To guarantee good results though, best to use a starter culture such as a spoonful of live soya yoghurt bought from a shop.
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