Boyajian reserves his praise for the tart delicacy he makes himself from his mother's original culture. As he moved from New York to Chicago to California, married and raised three sons, became a carpet merchant and a dry cleaner before retiring at age 75, he continued to make yogurt from the same live culture, brimming with benevolent bacteria.

"First, you boil milk in a big pot, then place pot in kitchen sink with some cold water to cool it down a little. Test the milk with the little finger. When it's the right temperature, not too hot or cold, add yogurt culture and stir a few times. Then pour it into a bottle, wrap the bottle in a blanket and place it in oven with the heat off. one or two hours you have yogurt."

Basic yogurt is nothing more than milk to which a dose of harmless bacteria has been added. The bacteria produce an enzyme known as lactase. This enzyme attacks the natural milk sugar lactose, giving off lactic acid. The acid then gently curdles the milk as it imparts a tart flavor.