Nick Trastelis of Kalypso Greek Yogurt – Tradition Made New

Nick Trastelis - Founder of Kalypso Greek Yogurt

I’m wandering the stalls at the Northport, Long Island Indoor Winter Farmer’s Market on a bright, chilly Saturday afternoon and can’t help but take note of the palm-sized, rustic terracotta pots stacked high at a nearby booth.    I’m instantly curious what they contain. 

So, I strike up a conversation with Nick Trastelis, the founder of Kalypso Greek Yogurt.   Nick has a warm and sunny demeanor that conjures up thoughts of his Mediterranean heritage.   I quickly learn that terracotta pots are the traditional way of serving Greek yogurt. Nick is a fourth generation Greek yogurt craftsman, and the terracotta pots contain his family recipe – an impossibly thick and delicious artisanal strained Greek yogurt.   I sample the Mango Kalypso Greek Yogurt and I’m hooked.  The company’s tag line, “seductively delicious” is no exaggeration.  

“We’ve been making yogurt for over 100 years in my family,” Nick explains. “Everything is crafted in-house at our facility in Jackson Heights – the fruits, the yogurt, everything.    The fruit bases are my grandmother’s.  Some of the newer flavors like the Mango are mine.”

Nick’s family was producing Greek yogurt professionally “before it was even in the lexicon in North America.”  Most of the business was devoted to servicing restaurants, food service, and catering and private label.  But, inside these charming terracotta pots is not only a venerable family recipe but also the story of Nick’s personal food odyssey that occurred on the Greek island of Mykonos.   

Nick had been living in Greece and noticed a little yogurt bar near a bus stop that attracted flocks of tourists in Mykonos.   “They made the most amazing yogurt,” he explains.  “So, I got talking to them and picking their brains and it all just made sense.” 

He returned to the United States with a new vision.  “I came back to New York and said we’re changing everything we’ve been doing for the last 27 years.  I said, enough of the private label, we’re going to start rolling out our own individual cups.”

Kalypso Greek Yogurt comes in a variety of flavors, including Plain, Honey, Black Cherry, Blueberry, Vanilla, Fig, and Mango and is non-fat.   Nick uses 100 percent all natural ingredients and each 6-ounce cup of Kalypso contains 150 to 200 mg of calcium.  

Nick has infused the company and the product not only with tradition, but modern environmental sensibilities as well.  “I’m actually trying to change the consciousness of food packaging and eating healthier,” Nick explains.  “So that’s why we stick with tradition, serving the Greek yogurt in our terra cotta cups.  That’s how we did it back home, so why deviate from that?” 

“Landfills are filled with plastic containers which take about 15 to 20 years to actually break down,” he explains.  “This terra cotta cup goes back into the system in less than a couple of weeks.  It’s a sustainable packaging.”

In the end, what seems to inspire Nick most is the goodness and healthfulness of his family’s recipe.  

“It’s like wanting to share this gift of nature,” he says.  “It’s such a simple product.   It’s fermented milk.    It’s so basic, and so good for you.”

Contact Nick at nick@kalypsoyogurt.com 

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