Fro-yo girl here. Goodbye 2013...it’s that time to look back at the year that was in the Bay Area.
Bay Area closings: Yogorino (both locations in SF), YoCup (both SF locations), Yogurt Circle, Yoppi Yogurt Palo Alto, Yogen Fruz Novato, U Love Yogurt, Tuttimelon Burlingame, Tutti Frutti Berkeley, Tutti Frutti Oakland Chinatown, Sweet Sundays, Harmony Frozen Yogurt, Blush SF
Yogorino is no longer available in the Bay Area...or on the West Coast. Very sad. Harmony Frozen Yogurt was one of the first tart froyo shops in the Bay Area. YoCup was also an early Bay Area tart froyo shop but the quality was significantly worse after it was sold to new owners. Fortunately, Blush still has other locations.
Tutti Frutti Berkeley and Yoppi Yogurt Palo Alto's locations weren't open long. Tutti Frutti was replaced by Honeyberry which has the worst froyo.
Bay Area openings: Yogurtland Fremont, Yogurtland Pinole, Yumi Yogurt Hillsdale Mall, Tutti Frutti Montclair Village, Swifty Sweets, Red Mango Palo Alto, Pizza Bello, Pinkberry Walnut Creek, Menchie’s Berkeley, Menchie’s Fremont, Mega Walgreens SF, La Luna Cupcakes, Coffee Cultures, Almaden Yogurt Factory
Scoop Microcreamery in Palo Alto opened this year and offered froyo made with liquid nitrogen for about a month but they stopped offering froyo. Back in October, Tuttimelon Burlingame changed from selling froyo to selling liquid nitrogen ice cream as Cryo Cream (the ownership is the same...Tuttimelon has been selling liquid nitrogen ice cream in Hong Kong for months), Honeyberry keeps opening new locations - some have froyo and some don’t. Swifty Sweets launched in April and is the Bay Area’s only froyo truck.
I had some memorable cups of froyo outside the Bay Area in 2013. If you're in NYC, be sure to check out Culture: An American Yogurt Company which has locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. They make their fresh and frozen yogurt in house. Go Greek Yogurt in Beverly Hills flies in super thick authentic Greek yogurt from Greece. They offer fresh and frozen yogurt. I had my first froyo taco at A Tea Yogurt in downtown Alhambra, CA.
Check out IFYA's post on key events in the froyo industry in 2013.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.
Fro-yo girl here. I’ve examined all the pictures of fro-yo that I took this year and picked out my best looking froyo swirls. I had a good year of swirling. Years of practice have done wonders for my swirling skills.
My best swirl of 2013 was actually my first swirl of 2013. It’s a cup of plain tart froyo with neatly arranged toppings (chopped almonds, strawberries, granola, watermelon, blueberries) and two spoons. I swirled it at Yogurtland Alhambra. I remember the frozen yogurt texture was exceptional that night: firm, creamy, thick and smooth.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
* YOGURTLAND: 1 E Valley Blvd, Alhambra, CA 91801
Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.
Fro-yo girl here. Last year’s froyo flavor of the year was Nutella/Chocolate Hazelnut. It seemed like Nutella was showing up everywhere - in and outside of froyo shops.
This year many new froyo flavors were introduced. Greek froyo flavors continued to be popular, riding the wave of Greek yogurt popularity. Cookie and dessert flavors were popular as well. Froyo flavors are becoming more complex, for example, Menchie’s maple nut fudge and strawberry shortcake delight, Yogurtland’s black sesame vanilla and Honey Hill Farms Moon Pie.
The froyo flavor of 2013 is...any flavor with cream cheese (e.g., Carrot cake, Menchie’s Cinnayumm bun, Cinnamon roll, Honey Hill Farms key lime bar). Who can forget Bugs Bunny's carrot cake froyo flavor at Yogurtland?
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.
Fro-yo girl here. It’s Christmas Eve and I hope you’re going to have a nice big cup of gingerbread, egg nog, cocoa minty holiday cookie or peppermint froyo today. Use your Menchie’s holiday spoon and top it with peppermint bark, red & green M&Ms, candy canes, gingerbread cookies, Christmas sprinkles, pfeffernusse, chocolate nonpareils, white chocolate, cranberries, toasted pecans, etc.
Here’s a festive picture I took at one of my favorite places: Blush Burlingame. I also made an ornament out of a froyo cup while I was there (they had an ornament making station) enjoying the gingerbread froyo and added it to their Christmas tree.
Hope you wake up and find fro-yo gift cards in your stocking. Happy holidays to all fro-yo fans!
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.
Fro-yo girl here. I’ve sampled many new froyo flavors this year. Some of the new froyo flavors I really enjoyed include Yogurtland’s Lemon Cream Cookie and Tiramisu, Cherry Pinkberry, Key Lime Pinkberry, and Easy Breezy’s Mint Mojito with fresh mint leaves.
Now that the year is coming to the end, it’s time to declare my favorite new froyo flavor of the year…it’s Cucumber froyo from Easy Breezy in San Francisco, CA. Cucumber froyo is made with fresh cucumbers and it works well because of the natural properties of cucumber: sweet, crisp, refreshing and light. The cucumber flavor is distinct and doesn’t overwhelm the natural yogurt flavor. Even better, the froyo is organic. Cucumber froyo might not be for everyone but I love the flavor of cucumber. Easy Breezy also makes some amazing froyo flavors with fresh mint - e.g., Mint Mojito.
Check Easy Breezy’s Facebook page for the current flavor line up.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
* EASY BREEZY FROZEN YOGURT: 4028 24th St., San Francisco, CA
Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.
Fro-yo girl here. One of my hobbies is to make a new batch of Christmas ornaments every December. I’ve made simple ornaments out of felt, clear glass globes, pipe cleaners, yarn, dough, clay and more. There’s something gratifying about decorating your Christmas tree with unique handmade ornaments that are inexpensive, easy and fun to make.
This year I picked up some clear glass ornaments at Michael’s (they come in packs of 6 for $5 per pack), paint pens ($2 and up) and satin paint (you can find some for under $2 a bottle, read the label and make sure that it works on glass). There's glittery paint available too. I used craft smart paint pens and Americana multi-surface Satin paint in Turquoise Waters from DecoArt.
It's much cheaper than etched glass ornaments because a bottle of Martha Stewart glass etching cream is $24.99.
Take the stem out of the ornament and paint it with a brush. Let the paint dry before adding another coat. After it’s dry, you can easily draw designs or use stencils. If you like clear globes, draw directly on the glass.
Stencils are easy to make. Find an image of frozen yogurt that you like on the web and print it out (adjust the size via your printer settings if desired). Tape it to a thin, clear, plastic sheet. Use an exacto knife to cut out the shape and presto, you have a froyo stencil that you can use for Christmas cards, ornaments, stationery, etc.
If you’re not the crafty type and you love frozen yogurt, you can always buy frozen yogurt ornaments from CafePress or Amazon but that’s just not as fun.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.
Fro-yo girl here. This week’s batch of new seasonal flavors, White chocolate peppermint & Raspberry pomegranate tart, have arrived. Walking in a Winter Yogurtland which gave us 2 new seasonal froyo flavors a week for six weeks, is drawing to a close - this week's flavors are the last of the promotion. I always feel sad when a Yogurtland promotion ends...they have such exciting promotions and so many new froyo flavors. The new flavors are in stores for a week or while supplies last.
* White chocolate peppermint: “Real gourmet white chocolate and refreshing peppermint. This flavor is a winter wonderland right in your mouth.” The flavor was milder (not as minty) as I expected but I liked it because you could taste the white chocolate better. The mild minty flavor hits you first and then the warm, sweet white chocolate. It was extra creamy, thick and rich.
* Raspberry pomegranate tart: “Celebrate the season with all the healthy goodness of real raspberries. Our fresh fruit and real pomegranate juice is delightfully tart, yet balanced with natural sweetness.” I thought I liked their raspberry tart a lot but raspberry pomegranate is even better: more flavorful and tangier. So good!
I wanted a cup of both flavors but the white chocolate peppermint froyo was calling for the new topping, peppermint bark. It came in big pieces! Yum.
Remember you can earn double points Monday - Wednesday with the Real Rewards program.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.
Fro-yo girl here. I haven’t found Siggi’s pumpkin & spice yogurt at any Whole Foods but I did spot something new in the yogurt section, Latta. The coffee flavor caught my eye since it’s not a common yogurt flavor.
Latta products are made in small batches with Amish Country milk using the traditional Russian method for creating kefir. Latta’s kefir is organic and made with grass-fed milk. Products are all natural with no thickeners and they contain probiotic cultures.
* Coffee Organic Kefir: I wasn’t sure what the consistency would be like. I expected it to be thin like a drinking yogurt. The product is quite thick, too thick to drink. It also has small clumps of milkfat. It’s thicker than regular yogurt and European style yogurt but not as thick as Greek yogurt. Despite the small clumps, the texture was smooth and creamy. It’s white in color (was expecting a tan color) so the coffee didn’t change the color. The coffee flavor is quite noticeable and not bitter...it’s not unpleasant but I prefer vanilla flavoring for yogurt. The kefir is a bit sour yet has a sweet aftertaste. It’s fairly sweet but less so than a typical American yogurt. One cup is 70 calories. It’s rich and filling. Ingredients: pasteurized skim milk, evaporated cane juice, natural coffee flavor, probiotic kefir cultures
I found the single serve 5.25 oz cups at Whole Foods for $1.99 each.
Flavors: Vanilla, strawberry, coffee, peach, plain, blueberry and black cherry
http://www.lattausa.com/
4 out of 5 stars.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
* WHOLE FOODS MARKET: 3950 24th St., San Francisco, CA 94114
Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.
Fro-yo girl here. Thanks Yogurtland for keeping the holiday season exciting with new froyo flavors (Vanilla Custard and Cinnamon Roll, in stores for a week, starting today) and a new topping (cream cheese chips, the perfect complement to Cinnamon Roll froyo).
* Vanilla custard: “A fresh holiday take on an old holiday classic. The rich, creamy, vanilla egg custard flavor you love without the guilt.” It’s creamy, smooth and tastes like vanilla soft serve ice cream only with a hint of yogurt flavor. It’s not as creamy as real frozen custard but still very good - and with live and active cultures.
* Cinnamon roll: “The taste of holiday morning. We combined one of the world’s best cinnamons with real cream cheese for the best baked treat ever to be served frozen.” I think many people will really love this flavor. The cream cheese makes it extra rich and creamy and you can see and taste the cinnamon.
The cheesecake chips were new. They look like white chocolate chips and taste like cream cheese icing.
I made my frookies/frozen yogurt cookie sandwiches with the giant Oreo cookie disks. If you want to do the same, here are a few pointers:
- Swirl the froyo directly onto the cookie, till the froyo is about ½ an inch to 1 inch high
- Put other cookie disk on top of froyo
- To add toppings to the side, put toppings in your cup and roll your froyo cookie sandwich into the toppings mixture. You may need to press toppings into the side of the froyo.
- Freeze till the froyo is firmer, otherwise you won’t be able to bite into it without having froyo come out on the sides
Remember you can earn double points Monday - Wednesday with the Real Rewards program.
Next week more new seasonal froyo flavors arrive: White chocolate peppermint and Raspberry pomegranate tart. You’ll also see a new topping, one that I love, peppermint bark.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.
Fro-yo girl here. I found another Japanese yogurt flavored candy at Nijiya Market in San Mateo. Ogontoh Vitain yogurt candy is a hard candy with two different textures and flavors. It seems to be positioned based on health. The packaging emphasizes that the candy contains vitamin C, calcium and lactobacilli. I found a 3.17 oz. bag of Vitain for $3.49.
The top of the candy is a hard yellow disc, similar to a cough drop in terms of the texture and look. The bottom of the candy is a powdery firm white disc, similar in texture of aspirin. The bottom white disc is pretty tangy due to the fermented milk but also somewhat medicinal tasting. It tastes like tangier Yakult. The yellow part is sweeter without any particularly strong flavor. It takes a long time for one candy to dissolve. The candies are individually wrapped.
Ingredients: Cane sugar, maltitol, glucose, corn syrup, fermented milk, oligo-saccharide, casein phospho peputide, lactic acid bacterium, organic acid, coral calcium flavors, vitamin C, emulsifier
3.5 out of 5 stars
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
* NIJIYA MARKET:1956 S. El Camino, San Mateo, CA 94403
Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.
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Fro-yo girl here. They’re here! This week’s Walking in a Winter Yogurtland new seasonal flavors have arrived at Yogurtland: Chocolate mousse pie and Egg nog. The new flavors are in stores for a limited time only, just one week or while supplies last.
* Chocolate mousse pie: “Our gift to all the chocolate lovers out there. Gourmet cocoa, chocolate cookie and a dash of coffee extract combine for a velvety, smooth, seasonal chocolate sensation.” Those of you who follow my blog know that I don’t like chocolate froyo. So many of them taste like cocoa/fudge to me with few differences that I can discern. Sadly, this chocolate mousse pie tasted like a fudgsicle to me. I didn’t notice the chocolate cookie or coffee extract. The texture was creamy and smooth.
* Egg nog: I remember Egg nog froyo from last year’s holiday promotion at Yogurtland, Yuletide Yumminess. “Simple, delicious and full of holiday cheer. Real nutmeg and a hint of vanilla combine for a flavor we can all toast to.” I don’t like egg nog but I found this flavor pleasant. The egg nog flavor wasn’t too strong and I did taste the vanilla. It seemed sweeter than usual. It’s creamy and rich.
I spotted some new seasonal toppings: Chocolate nonpareils and Oreo cookie disks. The Oreo cookie disks are twice the size of a typical Oreo cookie. They are adorable! It’s too bad that I saw them after I already put froyo in my cup. Next time I’m going to make froyo cookie sandwiches...with next week’s new flavor, vanilla custard.
Remember you can earn double points Monday - Wednesday with the Real Rewards program.
Next week more new seasonal froyo flavors: Vanilla Custard and Cinnamon Roll.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.
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