The hangop recipe
for your table
Line a sieve with a clean tea towel or cheesecloth and place the sieve over a bowl. Spoon the yogurt into it, fold the corners of the cloth over one another, and place everything in the refrigerator.
Let it drain and keep an eye on the clock, because the time determines the thickness. After six hours you’ll have a thick yogurt; after a night, something that almost resembles cream cheese. The clear liquid that collects in the bowl is whey; you don’t have to throw it away, as it works well in pancake batter or bread dough.
Scoop the hangop out of the cloth into a bowl and briefly stir it smooth. For a richer version, gently fold in the whipped cream and don’t stir for too long, otherwise the air will be knocked out again.
Build the dessert in the glass: a spoonful of hangop, a layer of brown sugar, the berries, and the rest on top. Keep it chilled until serving, because the brown sugar dissolves slowly and colors the layer beneath it.
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Send the recipe for this hangop to your own email, so you’ll have it at hand when you’re ready to make it. You’ll also receive a €5 discount code when you spend €50 or more, for the glasses that go with it.
The story
The name literally describes what happens: the cloth filled with yoghurt is hung above a bowl, and gravity does the rest. In households where milk once turned sour without anyone intending it, this was not a recipe but a way to make something of it anyway. What remained was thick, slightly sour and, with sugar, rusks or a pack of soft fruit, went all around the table. This makes hangop one of the few Dutch desserts that requires no oven, no pan and no thermometer. All it needs is time, and you do not even have to keep an eye on it.
The right glass
Hangop stays where you put it, and that is exactly what a glass shows: a layer of hangop, a layer of brown soft sugar and the berries on top remain as distinct bands instead of sinking into one another. The ribbed dessert coupe below holds twenty-six centilitres and stands on a foot; according to the description, the layers remain visible through the sides and a dollop rises neatly above the rim. Next to it is a wide, low 18 cl bowl on a low foot, which according to the description is intended, among other things, for yoghurt with granola and is spacious enough for a regular dessert spoon to move around. A tall, narrow parfait glass is not part of our range; these two come closest. You can find more small glassware for a dessert in the amuse glasses collection.
RCR Timeless Dessert Coupe 26 cl (6 pieces)
La Rochere Coupelle 18 cl Alice (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 65,90.
The right tools
For hangop, besides the glass, you mainly use ordinary kitchen utensils: a sieve and a clean tea towel. Two of our bar tools are also helpful: a bar spoon with a long handle for laying the layers all the way to the bottom of the glass, and a muddler for gently crushing the berries so their juice starts to run. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Long handle, lays a layer all the way to the bottom of the glass
Gently crushes berries so the juice runs through the hangop
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 72,85.
What are you serving with it?
Hangop is usually served as a dessert when children are present, and in that case there should simply be no alcohol: a glass of milk or water is enough. If you eat it as dessert after dinner, something sweet and light goes well with it, such as a glass of moscato, crémant or prosecco. On each drink page, you can read the percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it goes with and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Using buttermilk instead of yogurt gives you the old-fashioned, tangy version that many people remember from childhood; it takes longer to drain and yields less, so count on a little over half as much. Low-fat yogurt works too, but becomes thin and somewhat grainy, so full-fat yogurt is the safer choice. You can vary the toppings endlessly: cinnamon with regular sugar, brown sugar, apple syrup, toasted nuts, or simply whatever fruit you have at home. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Prepare the glasses a few hours in advance and place them covered in the refrigerator. This gives the brown sugar time to seep into the layer beneath it, creating a dark band in the glass. Add a long spoon, because you can't reach the bottom with a teaspoon. Only sprinkle on the last sugar and berries at the table, so they stay crisp and intact.
Good to know
Where does the name hangop come from?
It refers to the hanging itself. The yogurt goes into a cloth, the cloth is tied shut and hung above a bowl, and you let whatever runs out drain away. In most kitchens today, this means a cloth in a sieve over a bowl, which does exactly the same thing and causes less mess.
How long should hangop drain?
Six hours gives you a thick yogurt that you can still pour; overnight gives you something you have to scoop with a spoon and that is almost like cream cheese. You can stop anywhere in between. Feel free to taste and check the texture along the way: you can always let it drain longer, but you can't undo it.
Full-fat or low-fat yogurt?
Full-fat. Low-fat yogurt drains further and what remains becomes meager and grainy, with a sharp aftertaste. Full-fat yogurt retains its creamy texture. Greek or Turkish yogurt has already been partially drained, so it needs less time and leaves you with more.
Can you also make it with buttermilk?
Yes, and that is the old-fashioned version. Buttermilk is thinner, so it drains for longer and yields less; from a liter, you keep about a third. The flavor becomes noticeably more sour and somewhat fresher, which is exactly what that extra spoonful of brown sugar is for.
What do you do with the whey that drains out?
The clear liquid in the bowl is whey. You can keep it in a sealed bottle in the refrigerator and use it instead of water or milk, for example in pancake batter, bread dough, or a smoothie. Throwing it away is not a disaster, but it would be a shame.
How do you make hangop richer?
By folding whipped cream through it. Whip a few spoonfuls of cream until stiff and gently fold it into the drained yogurt with a spatula, not a whisk. You get a softer, fuller hangop that tastes less sour and stays slightly higher in the glass.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is hangop?
Hangop is yogurt or buttermilk that has hung in a cloth over a bowl until much of the liquid has drained out. What remains is thick, slightly sour, and spoonable. Nothing else is added; the sugar, cinnamon, and fruit are added on top only when serving.
How long should hangop hang?
Six hours in the refrigerator produces thick yogurt; a full night produces something that almost resembles cream cheese. Time is the only variable you adjust, so check occasionally and stop when it has the consistency you want.
What glass do you use for hangop?
A clear glass or dish that allows a dessert spoon to reach the bottom. If you layer it with brown sugar and berries, choose a glass with a straight or wide, colorless wall, so the layers remain visible from the side.
How long can you keep hangop?
Covered in the refrigerator, hangop keeps for two to three days, just like the yogurt it is made from. It becomes slightly firmer during that time. Only layer it with sugar and fruit just before serving; otherwise, the moisture from the berries will seep through the layers.
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