Imagine yogurt made not from store-bought cultures but from live ants! Sounds bizarre? Yet, this centuries-old tradition from the Balkans is now making headlines.

A team of anthropologists and food scientists recreated “ant yogurt” by dropping live red wood ants into warm milk. The ants, rich in formic acid and unique microbes, sparked fermentation overnight. What emerged was a tangy, herbaceous yogurt that surprisingly contained the same bacteria used in sourdough bread - Fructilactobacillus sanfranciscensis.

This recipe, once passed down orally in Turkish and Bulgarian villages, has been revived in modern labs. Researchers then partnered with Copenhagen’s Michelin-star restaurant Alchemist, where chefs transformed the yogurt into ant-shaped ice cream sandwiches, cheeses, and cocktails.

Unlike today’s yogurt - made with just two bacterial strains - traditional methods had biodiversity, giving richer flavors and textures. However, scientists warn not to try this at home, since ants may carry parasites.

More than food, this study highlights how forgotten community recipes hold scientific and cultural value. Sometimes, grandma’s strange-sounding kitchen hacks turn out to be pure genius.