What Is Stretchy Yogurt? The New Sticky Trending Treat

A new yogurt trend is taking over TikTok, and it has nothing to do with protein or health. Instead, yogurt shops around the world — and across social media — are transforming this classic ingredient into a sticky, elastic version of itself, called “stretchy yogurt.”

Clips of the trend depict a thicker, almost stringy form of yogurt that can still be spooned but has visible tension in its texture. Perhaps the easiest way to describe its viscosity is to compare it to slime, the goopy, non-edible material that’s been popular online for nearly a decade.

If you’re based in the United States, you might’ve noticed stretchy yogurt popping up on your TikTok and Instagram feeds more recently: you can now buy a bowl of the sticky treat at a yogurt shop in New York City.

After gaining popularity in several other countries around the world, stretchy yogurt has now arrived in the U.S. While the concept might seem unusual at first, a glimpse of the yogurt’s satisfyingly sticky texture and the array of fresh fruits that purveyors often top it with will probably make you want to try it too.

What is stretchy yogurt?

Online posts about stretchy yogurt shops frequently note that the trend originated in China, with captions like “the viral snack from China to NYC.” While language barriers make it difficult to research the names and locations of stretchy yogurt shops in China, popular vendors selling the dessert in other Asian countries and beyond have been shared widely on social media.

There are viral stretchy yogurt — or “sticky yogurt,” as it’s also often called — stores in Singapore, Jakarta, and Ontario, to name a few global locations. If you’re in New York City, head to Flushing, Queens — home to the largest Chinatown in the United States — to try the signature bucket of stretchy dairy from Mamie’s Yogurt. (Several customers detail online that Mamie’s is a chain originally from China, but the number of locations it has in the country is difficult to pinpoint online.)

Sticky yogurt isn’t typically enjoyed on its own. Most shops, including Mamie’s, serve it with your choice of fresh fruits and bouncy accoutrements like boba and jellies on top.

At the Flushing store, fruit options include cantaloupe, watermelon, grapes, orange, mango, dragon fruit, strawberries, banana, kiwi, and blueberries. From there, you can add popping boba in flavors ranging from peach to water chestnut or select a sprinkle of cubed coconut jellies.

Of course, the base of your stretchy yogurt bowl starts with selecting a flavor for the dairy. At Mamie’s, you’ll choose between options like mango, lychee, peach, the signature “thick milk flavor”, five-grain, and phycocyanin (spirulina). 

If you’re curious about what sticky yogurt is actually made of, it doesn’t come from a special kind of dairy or an elaborate fermentation process. Shops that sell the treat haven’t shared their recipes online, but it’s very likely they use some type of starch — like tapioca, rice, or potato starch — to produce the viscous texture. 

Not only are these starches used to create chewy textures in other foods, but some digital creators have shared recipes for making chewy yogurt at home, and it turns out it’s surprisingly simple.

Can you make stretchy yogurt at home?

If there isn’t a stretchy yogurt shop near you and you’re dying to try the chewy texture of this trending snack, don’t stress. It only requires three ingredients and less than five minutes to make some yourself.

In her recipe, creator Kat Lieu (@subtleasian.baking) explains that you’ll need Greek yogurt, milk, and tapioca starch to make stretchy yogurt at home. Add half a cup of Greek yogurt, half a cup of milk, and a quarter cup of tapioca starch to a microwave-safe bowl and stir to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, poking several small holes in it with a fork, and microwave the mixture for two minutes.

After microwaving, stir the ingredients again until they form a uniform mixture. Your stretchy yogurt is now ready to enjoy. You can add some chopped fruit on top, or follow Lieu’s example and use black sesame and kinako, a roasted soybean flour with a nutty flavor.

Food & Wine photo editor Doan Nguyen tested Lieu’s recipe at home herself. She describes the results as “imagine if yogurt and mochi had a baby,” but notes that the treat isn’t as chewy as mochi, just headed in that direction. Regardless, if you’re someone who loves sticky, chewy textures, it sounds like you might have a quick new breakfast and dessert option in your back pocket.