Where there's a will, there's a whey

Hey everyone!

This week I’m sharing a conversation with Homa Dashtaki, founder of the White Moustache yoghurt company in Brooklyn and author of the brilliant new cookbook Yoghurt and Whey: Recipes of an Iranian Immigrant Life.

Homa Dashtaki photographed by Michael Cervieri

I first met Homa in New York back in 2016 and fell in love with her authenticity, her quirky humour, her love of cursing and her mind-blowingly tasty yoghurt. Her approach to running a small business is also incredibly inspiring with its zero waste approach that puts heritage and the health of the planet at the heart of everything she does.

Over the last decade Homa’s artisanal yogurt has gathered acclaim from the likes of the New York Times, Vogue and Bon Appétit and has attained a cult status amongst it’s fans:

“The creamiest and most delicious yogurt I can find in New York City (and maybe in the entire country) is called the White Moustache. It’s the handiwork of a father-daughter team in Brooklyn, who make it in small batches and sell it in squat little jars through twelve retail stores in Manhattan and ten in Brooklyn and nowhere else. It’s one of the best things I’ve tasted in quite a while — thick and smooth and glossy, and with an aroma that I feel relatively certain is what Heaven smells like”, Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue

In this episode, we talk about

• Homa’s passion for sharing the traditions of her Zoroastrian heritage

• The comfort and joy that comes from making your own yoghurt

• How to run a business in line with your values

• Where she finds resilience to navigate the trials and tribulations of modern life

All of this is shared with her trademark wit, plenty of swearing and because we are two people of Iranian heritage, lots of FEELINGS.

I hope you enjoy our conversation and find Homa as funny and inspiring as I do! Have a listen and let me know what you think.

Yasmin xx

This episode was produced by Lina Prestwood at Scenery Studios