Yogurt - Curd
Tamil language name for Yogurt/Curd is Thayir.
Curd is part of a meal during lunch and sometimes in dinner too. Typically a Tamil meal or South Indian meal will have Sambar or Kuzhambu then end with Rasam and/or Curd. We eat curd as such or mix with rice making it "curd -rice" and eat. Pickles are the best side dish for this.
Curd is said to cool down your body. Since Tamil Nadu being a hot region, Curd is sold throught the year by street vendors. During Summer, there are several camps set up to offer free "More or Moru" which is diluted curd.
In present day, Tamil cuisine and in general Indian cuisine, Yoghurt/Curd plays a major role.
In Tamil cusine, there are various ways of using Thayir: It is used for making drinks or to marinate meat or added in making some dishes.
Spelling variations in Tamil name for Yoghurt/Curd:
Thayir, Tayir, Dhayir, Dayir