When I'm shopping, I always see different varieties and I'm not clear on what exactly the difference is. They both taste sour anyway, right? Do I need to do things differently when cooking?
Plain yogurt basically has no additives, just milk and cultures - that's why it tastes really sour and bitter. Regular yogurt is usually stretched with sugar, starch, or other stuff, so it tastes creamier and sweeter. When cooking, there's not really a big difference, but plain yogurt separates faster if it gets too hot - so better to add it at the end. Depending on what you're cooking, one works better than the other, but both work.
To be honest, "natural yogurt" is really just a marketing term - legally there's not much difference, both have to be fermented with the same bacteria. The difference is more that natural yogurt usually has no additives, sugar, or flavorings, while "regular" yogurt is often sweetened or has flavoring agents added. When cooking it barely makes a difference, just that natural yogurt tastes more sour - if you like it milder, you can just use less of it or mix it with a pinch of sugar. Just check the ingredient list and you'll see right away what's in it and can decide for yourself which one works better for you.
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