A Yami Girl 

Editor:

My thanks to Mr. Byrd for quoting Ms. Chowdhary's delicious citrus pickle recipe, which brought back memories of exotic turns our family cuisine took when my father brought the book home from his Fulbright year in India, in 1956. I enjoyed, too, the happy reminders of interesting foodways using yogurt ("Table Talk," March 25).

I can't help but feel compassion for Mr. Byrd's situation -- yogurtless -- in 1960 in New York, especially because of the good fortune that we in other areas enjoyed: We had Yami. As early as 1950, my ship's-pilot grandfather would stop by the store for a big sackful of cups of Yami on his way to Seattle harbor for another two-week Inside Passage voyage.

I grew up in the Bay Area, where yummy Yami was easily available and certainly popular. I believe the brand may still exist, though I haven't seen it for several years (and that last time was in Oregon.)