Thor's Skyr is here!

(But what is it?)

Thor's Skyr is not yogurt, so what is skyr?

Thor’s Skyr is an Icelandic-style cultured-milk product made from partly skimmed milk. The process is similar to other cultured milk products (kefir, yogurt, Greek yogurt)–only made at a different temperature and filtered for more protein. In fact, it could be classified as a fresh cheese! Thor’s Skyr is 100% lactose free by adding a lactase enzyme that breaks the lactose into two simpler sugars: glucose and galactose. These sugars are easily digested and make Thor’s Skyr naturally sweeter with no added sugar. Thor’s Skyr is then stirred into a thick, velvety smooth texture that’s delicious, versatile, and packed with protein.

Why should you eat Thor’s Skyr?

For the same reason Icelanders have eaten skyr for over 1000 years: protein and probiotics.

‍Protein: Thor’s Skyr is packed with protein. This isn’t an accident. The protein content of Thor’s Skyr is the result of filtering and straining the cultured milk, leaving the bulk of the casein protein behind, and concentrating the the nutrients in the milk into a thick, velvety smooth texture. In fact, it takes 4 cups of milk to make 1 cup of Thor’s Skyr.

Thor’s Skyr contains casein protein, which is the longest amino acid chain protein consumed by humans. That means the energy from Thor’s Skyr is digested slowly giving you energy for hours without spiking your blood sugar. Thor’s Skyr’s slow-release energy has no spike and no crash. That’s why Thor’s Skyr is smart late-night snack to avoid disturbing your sleep, letting your body recover slow and steady from the challenges of the day.

Probiotics: Thor’s Skyr contains billions of probiotics that promote gut health and help you absorb nutrients. But how could ancient Icelanders have known? They didn’t. Probiotics is one of those coincidences of history, a little bit of luck! The reason the method for cultured milk and skyr was developed was to preserve it and make it last longer. It would be over a thousand years before anyone knew this method was good for you.
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The probiotics in Thor’s Skyr were chosen for their ability to aide in nutrient absorption and, with another stroke of luck, for taste. The probiotics break down the cultured milk to leave a refreshing bright taste with only a hint of tartness.

‍Lactose Free: In Iceland, most skyr is lactose free–but not because of lactose intolerance. In fact, Iceland has less lactose intolerance than America (~30%) or the rest of the world (~65%). Making skyr lactose free is a healthy and natural way to improve the taste of the skyr without adding sugar.

By adding the enzyme lactase, the lactose in our milk is broke down into two simpler sugars: glucose and galactose. These sugars are easily digested, but, more importantly, these sugars make Thor’s Skyr taste great.

Iceland chose skyr!

Thor’s Skyr is made using methods developed in Iceland, but the history of skyr is a little more complicated than that. Iceland was founded by the Norwegian outlaw and Viking, Ingólfur Arnarson, in 870 AD, bringing his family with him to live in Iceland permanently. The Norwegian Vikings had learned how to make cultured-milk products like kefir, yogurt, and skyr from their adventures to Constantinople (modern day Istanbul) and had been making the various styles of cultured milk for decades. It was only when the Norwegian Vikings settled in Iceland that their preference for skyr developed–relying on skyr’s nutrient dense quality to survive the harsh living conditions in Iceland.

After a few centuries, the rest of Europe’s taste shifted to yogurt and kefir, while Iceland continued to chose skyr. After industrialization, skyr was all but forgotten in the rest of Europe and even the other Nordic countries, while Iceland developed technology to make skyr for its entire population and securing skyr as a staple of the Icelandic diet to this very day!

Thor’s Skyr is proudly made in the USA using methods developed in Iceland, but how?

While the rest of the world forgot how to make skyr, Iceland continued to improve the methods and technology to make skyr. The goal of Thor’s Skyr and its founders is to make skyr in America that tastes like skyr in Iceland. Lucky for them and you, the technology developed in Iceland finally made its way to the US in 2018! That’s why Thor’s Skyr can make skyr in America that tastes like skyr in Iceland using milk sourced from American family farms.

Thor’s Skyr contains no added sugar!

Thor’s Skyr has no added sugar. We’ve used the traditional Icelandic method and carefully chosen cultures to give you a skyr that tastes great. You’ll be tempted to call it creamy but Thor’s Skyr has only 2% fat!
Thor’s Skyr is 100% lactose free, giving you a touch of sweetness when the lactose is broken down into simpler sugars (glucose, galactose), that makes Thor’s Skyr perfect for anytime of the day: breakfast, lunch, or a late-night snack.

Introducing Thor's Skyrs Founders

Three Hollywood actors and an Icelandic entrepreneur walk into…well, it wasn’t a bar. It was an entire country. Terry Crews, Hafthor Julius Bjornsson, Dylan Sprouse, and Unnar Beck Danielsson all wanted to bring skyr to America that tasted like skyr in Iceland.

Saga of Thor's Skyr