Yoghurt is already a regular feature in our household, so when Icelandic brand Ísey Skyr arrived in Singapore, I was curious to find out whether it was really that different. The brand describes skyr as a high-protein, lactose-free dairy food, with flavours ranging from Natural to Crème Brûlée and Strawberry & White Chocolate.
We received samples to review, and the reactions at home have been rather mixed. I enjoyed both dessert-inspired flavours I tried, my husband thought one was too sour, and my yoghurt-loving daughter wasn’t especially impressed. Interestingly, skyr fared better when I used it in cooking.
First, What Exactly Is Skyr?
Skyr (pronounced “skeer”) is a traditional Icelandic cultured dairy food. Although it looks and is commonly eaten like yoghurt, it’s technically closer to a fresh cheese. Its origins go back more than 1,000 years, and it has long been part of everyday diets in Iceland.
Like yoghurt, it begins with milk and bacterial cultures. The difference is in the cultures and concentration process, which produce a notably thick, dense texture. Traditional skyr is made using skimmed milk; concentrating it gives it a relatively high protein content without necessarily adding fat.
According to Ísey, its skyr is made with original Icelandic cultures from MS Iceland Dairies. The brand says its process uses nearly four times as much milk as ordinary yoghurt and employs ultrafiltration to retain whey proteins. Its 170g Natural variety contains 19g of protein, according to the Singapore launch materials.
Skyr vs Greek Yoghurt vs Regular Yoghurt: What’s the Difference?
Regular yoghurt is fermented milk, typically with a comparatively softer consistency. Greek yoghurt is concentrated, commonly by straining away some whey, giving it a thicker texture and often more protein. Skyr is also concentrated but uses its own traditional production method and cultures, yielding a particularly thick, gently tangy result.
That doesn’t mean skyr automatically beats Greek yoghurt nutritionally. Protein, fat, sugar and calorie content vary considerably between brands and flavours. A plain, high-protein Greek yoghurt could be just as suitable for your needs as skyr. It pays to compare the labels rather than rely on the product category alone.
Ísey Skyr Crème Brûlée: Tasty, Although Not Quite Like the Dessert
I was particularly curious about Crème Brûlée, because the actual dessert has such a recognisable combination of custard and caramelised sugar.
To my palate, this skyr didn’t really taste like crème brûlée. There were hints of caramel, but I didn’t get the rich custard flavour I associate with the dessert. Still, I found it tasty, and its substantial texture was a pleasant change from lighter yoghurts.
The biggest surprise was how filling it was. I ate a 170g cup for breakfast, and it kept me satisfied for around five hours. That’s one person’s experience rather than a promise of five-hour satiety for everyone, but it definitely made an impression on me.
Strawberry & White Chocolate: A Fresh Strawberry Hit, With Subtle Chocolate
I also tried Strawberry & White Chocolate, and I liked that the white chocolate came in little bits. They offered some texture rather than disappearing entirely into the skyr.
That said, I had hoped for a more obvious white chocolate flavour. Instead, strawberry took centre stage. I was very happy with the fresh strawberry taste, even though the chocolate was less pronounced than I’d expected.
My husband, however, found this one too sour. He has quite a sweet tooth and even thinks orange juice tastes sour, so we clearly approach tart flavours differently! That doesn’t prove anything about his diet or the product’s acidity; it simply shows how differently we can perceive the same flavour.
More surprisingly, my daughter wasn’t keen on either the Strawberry & White Chocolate or Crème Brûlée. She’s generally a yoghurt fan and can polish off Chobani Vanilla in no time. Apparently, liking yoghurt doesn’t automatically mean liking skyr, especially when its natural tanginess still comes through the sweeter flavours.
What About Cooking With Skyr?
There’s another way we tested it. Years ago, an Indian friend taught me to use yoghurt to marinate chicken for Indian-inspired dishes, and I’ve used that trick ever since. This time, I substituted Ísey Skyr Natural for my usual yoghurt.
Neither my husband nor daughter had any issue with the chicken, despite their reservations about eating the flavoured skyr straight from the cup. The Natural variety made sense for a savoury marinade, and skyr’s thickness helped it coat the chicken alongside the seasonings.
Yoghurt-based marinades can help tenderise the surface of meat through their acidity. Skyr can serve much the same culinary purpose. However, I wouldn’t pay extra for skyr solely because of its protein if most of the marinade is going to be discarded; the protein you actually consume in the finished dish isn’t easy to calculate.
Is Ísey Skyr Really Healthy If Some Flavours Contain Cream?
This is where I think the marketing deserves a closer look. The brand’s launch materials describe skyr as naturally fat-free, but at least some of the dessert-inspired products include cream. That’s an important distinction between traditional plain skyr and a finished flavoured product.
Adding cream doesn’t suddenly make a food unhealthy. Fat has a place in a balanced diet, and a product can contain both fat and a useful amount of protein. But I wouldn’t assume that every flavoured cup is fat-free just because its base is traditionally made with skimmed milk.
The same applies to sugar. A flavour such as Strawberry & White Chocolate shouldn’t be assessed using only the headline protein claim. Total calories, saturated fat, sugars, ingredient lists and serving size also matter, especially if this is something you’re planning to eat regularly.
There is also a price consideration. At a recommended retail price of S$6.15 for 170g, this is a premium breakfast or snack. For anyone watching the grocery budget, it’s worth comparing the nutritional value and cost with other high-protein yoghurts instead of assuming skyr is the superior choice.
Why Is Skyr Lactose-Free? Do the Cultures Eat All the Milk Sugar?
Lactose is the naturally occurring sugar in milk. During fermentation, dairy cultures break down some lactose, creating lactic acid and contributing to skyr’s characteristic tang. But fermentation alone does not reliably remove every trace of lactose.
Some lactose-free dairy foods are made with added lactase, the enzyme that breaks lactose into the simpler sugars glucose and galactose. That is different from the cultures simply “eating up” all the milk sugar. The brand’s Singapore press release calls Ísey Skyr lactose-free but does not explain the precise method used for each local flavour, so I would want to confirm that from the packaging or manufacturer before making a definitive claim about this range.
Importantly, lactose-free is not dairy-free, and it doesn’t mean sugar-free. People with a cow’s milk protein allergy should not treat lactose-free skyr as a safe alternative to dairy.
Where to Buy Ísey Skyr in Singapore
The Singapore range comes in five 170g flavours: Natural, Vanilla, Strawberry & White Chocolate, Crème Brûlée and Blueberry & Raspberry. The brand announced an introductory price of S$5.80 (usual price S$6.15) for a limited period.
According to the launch announcement, Ísey Skyr is stocked at selected Cold Storage and CS Fresh stores and online through RedMart and PandaMart, with FairPrice Xtra, FairPrice Finest and selected Sheng Siong stores joining the distribution network from 19 October 2026. Availability and promotions may vary by outlet. Visit Ísey Skyr Singapore for more information.
Our Verdict So Far
I enjoyed both flavours I tasted, although neither was a perfect match for its dessert-inspired name. Crème Brûlée was especially filling, while Strawberry & White Chocolate won me over with its fresh strawberry flavour and little bits of chocolate.
It was not a unanimous family favourite, though. My husband found the strawberry variety too tart, and my usually yoghurt-loving daughter wasn’t won over by either flavour. The Natural skyr proved useful in a chicken marinade, which gives it another role beyond breakfast.
Would I buy it again? I can see the appeal when I want a quick, substantial, protein-rich snack. But at this price, I’d treat it as one option among other high-protein dairy products, not a nutritional miracle. I also want to taste the Natural variety on its own before making a stronger comparison with ordinary yoghurt and Greek yoghurt.
Disclosure: Ísey Skyr samples were provided for review. The opinions and tasting observations are our own.
Images: Ísey Skyr
Melissa Fann
