Bourbon Jaga Choco Yogurt Baked Potato Chips Review

Fro-yo girl here. Bourbon Jaga Choco Yogurt baked potato chips are imported from Japan. I found them at 168 Market in San Gabriel, CA, for $2.19.

One cup is 1.26 oz. Each cup has two servings. One serving is 100 calories with 6g fat, 10g sugar and 10g carbohydrates.

The potato chips are coated in a thin layer of yogurt chocolate. The coating is creamy and the chips are crunchy. The chips are ridged and puffy. The yogurt coating has that Yakult flavor that I’m not too fond of, and no chocolate flavor. It’s mostly sweet, with a bit of tang and salt. The flavor is interesting but I probably wouldn’t get these again. Yogurt and potato chips are a strange combination. I’d rather have savory yogurt flavored chips.

Ingredients: Vegetable oil, dried potato, starch, salt, sugar, lactose, whole milk powder, cocoa butter, defatted milk powder, whey powder, caramel powder, soya lecithin, flavor, citric acid, turmeric color, tocopherol, ascorbic acid, trehalose, water.

3 out of 5 stars.

* 168 MARKET: 933 E Las Tunas Dr., San Gabriel, CA 91776

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.

Yogurt in Japan

Fro-yo girl here. I recently visited Japan. Frozen yogurt is hard to find there, but yogurt is easier to find. Since I was busy eating soft cream, I wasn’t able to consume too much yogurt, but I did try a few yogurt products. I also spotted the yogurt shelf at a Japanese supermarket. Most of the brand names were in Japanese but I recognized a few brands: Morinaga, Dannon/Danone, and Meiji. The yogurt typically comes in small individual cups, to be eaten as snacks. It’s rare for Japanese to use yogurt in cooking. I didn’t see skyr or non-dairy yogurt. City-cost describes some of the leading Japanese yogurt brands.

Yakult, the fermented milk drink, was developed by Japanese scientist Dr. Minoru Shirota. The first bottle of Yakult was produced in 1935. Yakult claims to have billions of live and active bacteria of an exclusive probiotic strain, Lactobacillus casei Shirota.

The market leader in the Japanese yogurt market is a product called Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt. Meiji launched Japan’s first plain yogurt in 1971. They obtained naming rights from Bulgaria and released Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt in 1973. It took some time for the Japanese consumers to accept Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt, but they were won over by health benefit claims and the positioning as authentically Bulgarian. The company imported yogurt starter cultures from Bulgaria.

One tub of yogurt that I had in Japan had a Yakult like flavor. I also had a yogurt that tasted like plain yogurt. It wasn’t as thick as Greek yogurt but it wasn’t sweetened or Yakult like. The best yogurt product that I found was a thick yogurt drink from Azumino Winery in Nagano Prefecture. It’s made with raw milk from Azumino cows.

Yogurt art is also increasing in popularity in Japan. Japanese use plain yogurt “as a canvas to create pictures with fruits and sauces.” I’ve seen examples on Instagram. 

I visited Mitsuwa in San Gabriel, CA and they didn’t have any imported Japanese yogurt. The only yogurt brands they carried were Beijing Yogurt and Alove.

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.

Green Mountain Creamery Skyr Review

Fro-yo girl here. I was at Sprouts and decided to try Green Mountain Creamery’s Skyr yogurt. It was marked new. The retail price was $1.59 each and the sale price 5 for $5. The flavors are blended. My Sprouts was sold out of Strawberry Cream, but they had Vanilla Bean and Key Lime.

Available flavors: Strawberry Cream, Vanilla Bean, Salted Caramel, Key Lime, Plain

* Key Lime: Their key lime skyr had the usual key lime flavor. It was sweeter than I expected but had a nice tang. The texture was thick and creamy. I’m used to skyr having less sugar than Greek yogurt. I’m not sure how Green Mountain’s skyr is different from Greek yogurt. It seems too sweet for skyr.

* Vanilla Bean: It was nice to see the vanilla bean specks throughout the yogurt and to taste more vanilla than Green Mountain Creamery’s vanilla Greek yogurt. It was tangy but not sour and it had a hint of cream flavor. It was definitely richer than the Greek yogurt version, and better because it had more vanilla flavor. However, it was slightly chalky and pretty sweet for skyr (sweeter than Siggi’s). I also noticed they used thickeners: guar gum and corn starch. I prefer skyr made without thickeners.

Green Mountain Creamery Skyr is all natural, no RBST, gluten free, Grade-A strained, 3.5% milkfat, and has live and active cultures.

One serving of Vanilla Bean Skyr has 160 calories, 4g total fat, 16g total carbohydrates, 12g total sugars and 13g protein. Compared to their Greek yogurt, it has a little more protein, more fat (whole vs. nonfat milk), and a little more sugar.

Ingredients (vanilla bean): Pasteurized whole milk, cane sugar, non-GMO corn starch, pectin, natural flavors, vanilla extract, guar gum, vanilla beans, live active cultures

3.5 out of 5 stars

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.

New Pinkberry Summer Flavor, Passion Mango Frozen Yogurt

Fro-yo girl here. I was pleasantly surprised to find the new Pinkberry summer flavor, Passion Mango, on day one of the launch, June 22. I don’t believe that any new toppings were added to complement the new flavor but Pinkberry does recommend topping Passion Mango with mango and honey almond granola.

* Passion Mango frozen yogurt: I was pleasantly surprised by how tangy it was. It wasn’t as sweet as I feared because of the tanginess of the passionfruit. I have mixed feelings about mango because mango froyo tends to be quite sweet, even when it’s tart based. Passionfruit isn’t my favorite fruit either. I could taste mango and passionfruit, so the flavor was a success. However, it wasn’t refreshing and it didn’t have a clean finish. The texture was silky, smooth and not heavy or dense. It wasn't creamy or icy but somewhere in between. Recommended toppings: Raspberries, organic gummi bears.

Passion Mango frozen yogurt will be available at participating US Pinkberry stores until August 9, 2018.

P.S. Pinkberry is sponsoring a contest. The grand prize is a trip to the London premiere of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

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.

Fermented Milk (aka, Yogurt) in China

Fro-yo girl here. During a recent layover at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, I spotted some local Chinese yogurt products. I noticed that they call yogurt fermented milk on the packaging. Some of the yogurt products looked like drinks and others were served in cups.

The fermented milk at Starbucks seemed like a safe choice and I could read the packaging.

* Granola & flavored fermented milk mixed strawberry flavor (20 yuan, approximately $3.15 US dollars): The packaging looked nice. The granola was packaged separately and stored in a clear compartment above the cup of yogurt. The yogurt didn’t look pink/strawberry flavored but there were strawberry chunks in the white yogurt. The texture was creamy but not as thick as Greek yogurt. It must not have been strained? The yogurt was tangy but not very tangy. The strawberry flavor wasn’t strong since there only some strawberry pieces. It was different than what we have in the US but still pretty good. It seems to have live and active cultures.

Milk was very expensive and rationed in China before the 1980s. Therefore, milk consumption was very low. Soy milk was consumed instead.

However, dairy milk consumption is on the rise in China and China is now the third largest producer of milk in the world. The Chinese Nutrition Society recommends that Chinese increase their dairy consumption, so there is growing interesting in cheese, milk, and yogurt. Yogurt sales recently overtook milk sales in the country. Prices of milk and dairy products are still high but milk and dairy products are perceived as healthy.

Ethnic minorities in Mongolia and the surrounding areas have been fermenting milk since ancient times. The dairy milk was obtained from mares, sheep, yaks, camels, and goats. Beijing yogurt is a traditional fermented milk drink made by heating milk and adding sugar to it. I’ve had Beijing yogurt in the US, where you can find more than one brand in Chinese supermarkets. 

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.

White Moustache Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. I remember hearing about White Moustache Yogurt years ago but it was only sold in New York, so I didn’t think that I could easily try it. White Moustache Yogurt was founded by Homa Dashtaki and her father when they lived in Southern California and sold Persian yogurt at farmers markets. The family left California because regulations made it nearly impossible for them to legally sell yogurt. They settled in Brooklyn in 2013 and gained a following for their handmade, small batch yogurt made using Persian techniques and no machines. But regulations said that the yogurt could only be sold in New York.

Then Eataly opened in Los Angeles. They started carrying White Moustache Yogurt. How? By making it on site (at Eataly) in Los Angeles. I’m not sure who makes the yogurt in Brooklyn now (probably family members and/ or employees) but Homa Dashtaki has returned to LA. It sounds like the freshest yogurt that I can get on the market. It doesn’t even have to be delivered.

They make Persian yogurt, Greek yogurt, probiotic whey tonics, Kurdish labneh, and probiotic pops.

What is Persian style yogurt? It’s not strained, so it isn’t as thick as Greek yogurt. White Moustache says “it has a saucy consistency perfect for eating with sweet or savory preparations” while Greek yogurt is “smooth and creamy thick, sweet yogurt.” The yogurt is $7.80 (no tax is added).

Yogurt flavors:

• Plain
• Orange blossom honey and walnuts 
• Sour cherry 
• Dates 

Some of the yogurt flavors like Summer Peaches, Quince, and King Mulberry are seasonal. Mulberry is in season right now.

The yogurt they make in New York is made with fresh whole milk from Hudson Valley Fresh, a dairy farmer partnership in NY. The yogurt they make in California is made with local Straus Creamery milk. The label says that the yogurt is made with“farm fresh milk, live cultures, and endless patience. Each jar is handmade and hand packed.”

* Sour cherry Greek yogurt: Sour cherry is one of my favorite flavors, so I had to get it. The yogurt is not blended. No nutritional information is provided. The ingredients are: cultured whole milk (pasteurized), compote (sour cherry, sugar). Very simple. The yogurt is thick, creamy and very smooth – it’s not heavy though it tastes a little like cream. The velvety smoothness is what really struck me. The flavor was sour since no sugar was added to yogurt itself. The compote had lots of cherry juice and quite a few whole cherries. The cherries were sweet, the juice was sweet but once mixed, the yogurt was pleasantly, mildly tangy. The cherries with the lightly sweetened yogurt were fantastic. At 8 oz it’s larger than the usual tub of yogurt (the typical size is 5 oz) and you get to keep the glass jar. It’s Noosa sized and that’s usually good enough for two servings for me. The plastic lid on top can easily be put back on for storage.

Get some! Get a few jars! The labneh with aleppo pepper and za'atar is calling my name.

5 out of 5 stars.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl. 

* WHITE MOUSTACHE YOGURT AT EATALY: 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles (Century City), CA 90067

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.

Yogurtland’s New Flavors of Summer Launching on June 18

Fro-yo girl here. The day for the release of Yogurtland’s new summer flavors has finally arrived: Monday, June 18.

The wait felt so long! The new spring flavors were released on April 2, with no new flavors since then.

The “Flavors of Summer” are:

Blue Raspberry Sorbet flavored with Jolly Rancher: Yogurtland says, “This fruity, raspberry childhood favorite is sure to be a crowd pleaser! This non-dairy, bold, blue, frozen treat is made with REAL JOLLY RANCHER® Blue Raspberry!” It’s nonfat. The Jolly Blue Raspberry base has artificial flavors. While this flavor didn’t sound appealing to me, it wasn’t awful. It did taste like Jolly Rancher blue raspberry candies, but it wasn’t too intensely candy-like. I wouldn’t get it though, because it was too sweet and not natural. The Yogurtland manager liked it because it was refreshing. Recommended toppings: Fresh fruit, sour gummies.

Cookies & Crème Smores Frozen Yogurt: Yogurtland describes this flavor as, “Late summer nights were made for Cookies and Crème Smores! The delicious pairing of REAL Chocolate Cookies blended into sweet marshmallow yogurt will transport you to a warm summer night sitting around the camp fire!” It’s lowfat. Sadly, this flavor is also made with artificial flavors. Why, Yogurtland, why? However, I did think it was the best of the new summer flavors. The marshmallow muted the chocolate in a pleasant way. It was sweet, creamy, and didn’t taste like their other chocolate flavors. I didn’t detect graham crackers but I’m not sure they were in the mix. The yogurt was made with chocolate cookies. Recommended toppings: Keebler double fudge cookies, graham crackers, marshmallow sauce, chocolate chips.

When it comes to the new Butter Pecan Light Ice Cream, Yogurtland says, “Our Flavorologists took inspiration from a decadent summer essential and created for the first time in Yogurtland® history a reduced guilt Ice Cream treat! A de-LIGHT-ful combination of delicate, buttery cream and perfectly roasted pecans makes for a summer time favorite! Made with REAL Roasted Pecans! Note: Fat content has been reduced from 10% Fat to 4.8% Fat as compared to our Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream.” Butter pecan did seem less rich than the other Yogurtland ice cream flavors. It was pleasant and mild but the pecan/nutty flavor was very mild. It didn’t taste like vanilla ice cream but it wasn’t that nutty either. Recommended toppings: Almonds, Nilla wafers, toffee bits.

There were two new toppings: sour watermelon gummies and Keebler double fudge cookies. The Keebler sandwich cookies are adorable. They are plain sandwich cookies with fudge filling that feature different elves on one side and different sayings on the other side. There were no new cups or spoons.

Last summer, Yogurtland introduced 5 new summer flavors and two new spoons (the Joy promotion). This year there are have been fewer new flavors, new spoons, and promotions from Yogurtland. Sigh.

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.

Father’s Day 2018 Froyo Specials

Fro-yo girl here. This post is dedicated to my father, who enjoys frozen yogurt. He doesn’t love it as much as I do, but who does? His favorite flavor is pistachio.

Here’s the list of places with Father’s Day froyo specials, in alphabetical order. Unless noted, all these specials are good on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 17, 2018.

• 32 Degrees a Yogurt Bar: Buy a cup of froyo on Father's Day, get dad's cup for free, must use blue 16 oz cup
• Abby's Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt (Ellijay, GA): Free $7 cup for dads on Father's Day
• Alpine Chill (Alpine, CA): Free 16 oz cup for dads on Father's Day
• Emerson's By the Bay (New Baltimore, MI): Free froyo for fathers on Father's Day from 1 PM - 10 PM
• Feeney's (Greensboro, NC): Fathers get 4 oz free on Father's Day
• Happy Cow (FL): Buy a $20 gift card before Father's Day and get 6 oz of free froyo
• Menchie's India: Take a quick quiz - if your answers match your dad's, he gets his froyo free
• Menchie's Tsawwassen Commons: Buy one, get one 50% off on Father's Day
• Orange Leaf Council Bluff (Omaha, NE): Buy a froyo for yourself, get dad's froyo free
• Orange Leaf: Go to orangeleafyogurt.com to get a coupon for a free froyo for dad
• Smile Yogurt (Hong Kong): Special chocolate Earl grey chiffon cake and a Father’s Day parfait 
• Suzy’s Swirl (Lake Bluff, IL): Dads get a free cup ($5) on Father’s Day from 11 AM – 7 PM 
• Swirl It Froyo (Gilbert, AZ): Dads receive up to 6 oz of free froyo on Father's Day
• TCBY: the annual free froyo (6 oz) for dads promotion is back at participating locations 
• UU Yogurt (Lake Oswego, OR): Dads get a free 10 oz on Father's Day
• Yogurt Breeze (Lake Nona, FL): Dads get 3 oz free all week with purchase
• (The) Yogurt Shoppe (CA): Buy a $25 gift card, get a $5 bonus gift card for free 
• Yumz Yogurt: Special butter pecan flavor during Father’s Day week 
• Zoyo Yogurt (AZ): Dads get 6 oz free on Sunday, June 17

I’ll keep updating this list as I learn about more Father’s Day froyo specials. Many shops announce these specials on or the day before Father’s Day, so check back. Also, ask your local shop if they have a Father’s Day froyo specials.

If you plan ahead, it’s the perfect occasion to purchase or make a froyo cake.

Happy Father’s Day to all froyo loving dads! 

P.S. I'm collecting Father's Day froyo images on the IFYA Pinterest board, Father's Day Froyo.

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.

Westfield Century City Froyo & Frozen Desserts Report 2018

Fro-yo girl here. Westfield unveiled the “new” Westfield Century City shopping center last September. The two-year $1 billion makeover “reconfigured the mall and expanded it by about a third to 1.3 million square feet. About 90% of the stores, including Nordstrom, are new.” 

I used to shop at the Century City mall regularly and when I stepped off the escalator, I could not recognize the old mall. The layout is so different now and most of the stores are different. Bloomindale’s is still there in the same place but everything else seemed different. I remember parking for free for 3 hours. Now you only get one hour of free parking but some stores validate.

I recently visited Westfield Century City. I was curious about the Yogurtland location there, which closed in January for remodeling and reopened in April of this year with a new look. I haven’t seen that look at any other Yogurtland location.

I noticed quite a few unoccupied or maybe I should say not yet open shops on the second floor. The ground floor is almost fully occupied and open for business. The new Westfield Century City has many places to get frozen treats. Here’s a breakdown of the current frozen treat vendors.

Froyo 

Forty Carrots (inside Bloomingdale’s): Their famous frozen yogurt! It’s $6 for a regular, $8 for a large or $4 for a small if purchased with a meal from their café. They have 6 flavors a day. I recommend the plain or peanut butter. You can also get frozen yogurt smoothies. Take your receipt to the first floor to get your parking validated. You get an hour of free parking with validation (on top of the first hour free which everyone gets).

Yogurtland: It’s an attractive looking spot with geometric white and green tiles, grey wall where the froyo machines are, and white toppings bars. The price doubled – it’s now 85 cents an ounce which seems crazy when there are other Yogurtland locations nearby that still charge over 30 cents less per ounce. This is a smaller location, with just 10 self-serve flavors a day. Look for offers on Instagram, @yogurtlandcc. Currently if you check in on Yelp, you get 5 oz free. 

SunLife Organics (?): I didn’t see this shop while I was there, but if it’s like their other locations, they’ll have organic chocolate and vanilla frozen yogurt. From the pictures I saw of this location, it doesn’t seem like they have frozen yogurt. 

Yogen Fruz (?): The Yogen Fruz website lists a location inside the AMC theater at Century City. I forgot to verify whether this location was still open. 

Ice Cream

Halo Top Scoop Shop: This is Halo Top’s second scoop shop. They have soft serve but it’s ice cream. I haven’t tried it yet but I am curious about their bubble waffles, more so than their Stevia sweetened low calorie ice cream. 

Rori’s Artisanal Creamery: Scoopable ice cream, no frozen yogurt

Smitten Ice Cream: Fresh ice cream is made in front of your eyes with liquid nitrogen. I’ve had it in San Francisco where Smitten is from. It’s good stuff and their housemade toppings are excellent as well.

Gelato 

Bacio di Latte: The reviews are very favorable and they have yogurt gelato occasionally. This chain was founded by two brothers in Milan.

Grom: This Italian gelato shop got its start in Italy. They emphasize fresh, high quality ingredients. They do have a yogurt gelato that’s rich and flavorful. I don’t think that flavor is always offered but it’s worth trying if you see it.

Il Gelato (inside Eataly): I didn’t see any yogurt flavor but maybe they have one from time to time?

Dairy-Free Soft Serve 

Pressed Juicery: Yes, this location does have Pressed Freeze, the vegan, plant-based frozen treat from Pressed. Freeze is made with just a few ingredients and no added sugar. It’s 100% fruit, vegetables, and nuts.

This list doesn’t even include the other eateries that serve dessert and the frozen desserts you can buy at Gelson's. Oh, if you want frozen yogurt in Century City, the only place to get some is at Westfield Century City. If you have a car, drive over to Beverly Hills or Westwood Village for more options.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* WESTFIELD CENTURY CITY: 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles (Century City), CA 90067

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.

Go Greek Opens in Thousand Oaks

Fro-yo girl here. Go Greek opened at the Oaks Mall on May 26. It’s on the second floor, the outdoor part, by Vans and not that far from Menchie’s.

Go Greek specializes in authentic Greek yogurt (imported from Greece) that's available fresh or frozen. The fresh yogurt comes in sweet or savoy combinations (starting at $8.50). The fresh yogurt comes in different flavors like fig, lemon, sour cherry, honey, hazelnut, etc.

There are six flavors of Greek froyo on tap. Ask for sample cups. The frozen yogurt is self-serve and the toppings are healthier (fresh fruit, dried fruit, cocoa nibs, chocolate chips, premium sauces, Greek biscuits, hemp seeds, chia seeds, flaxseeds, nuts, peanut chews, granola, coconut).

The yogurt is different because not only is it imported, but it tastes different. And it's made with whole milk, so it's thicker and richer. The frozen yogurt flavors all have some tang, the natural tang of yogurt. While it's pricier at 89 cents an ounce, the quality is higher (and it's imported from Greece). Also, a smaller portion is more satisfying since it’s richer. I recommend the Greek honey flavor.

It's a smaller location with no indoor seating, but there are a few tables outside. The decor is nice - white and blue like the Greek flag.

Go Greek also announced that they planned to open a location in Las Vegas.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* GO GREEK YOGURTERIA, 350 W Hillcrest Dr., Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

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.

Yoga-urt Introduces New Flavor, Orange Creamsicle

Fro-yo girl here. Yoga-urt has introduced a new flavor for the summer, Orange Creamsicle froyo. The flavor made its debut at this year’s Eat Drink Vegan. Like all Yoga-urt froyo flavors, Orange Creamsicle is soy-free, gluten-free, vegan, kosher, organic, pro-biotic, and made from scratch.

First, a disclaimer; I’m not a huge creamsicle fan because (1) it tends to be too sweet and (2) I’d prefer a tangy orange flavor maybe paired with fresh herbs like rosemary or tarragon. But I know creamsicle is a big summer flavor.

So how was Orange Creamsicle? I think it will be popular since it’s sweet, creamy, and classic. I could taste the orange juice. There wasn’t any tang. When it comes to oranges, I like sour and/or tangy oranges. I can recognize that it’s a good flavor but it’s not my kind of flavor. But do try it if you’d like a natural tasting orange creamsicle frozen yogurt.

P.S. I chose Ganesha’s Sweet Greens instead and it was perfect.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* YOGA-URT, 1407 ½ W Kenneth Rd., Glendale, CA 91201

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.

Yogurtland Flavors, The Best and The Worst

Fro-yo girl here. It’s been two months since Yogurtland introduced a new froyo flavor. This feels like the longest time I’ve ever had to wait for a new flavor from Yogurtland. Hmm. The  new spring flavors were released on April 2. The flavors were Sea Salt Caramel ice cream, White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake froyo, and Hibiscus Pear Tart froyo. I did like Hibiscus Pear Tart but I’m ready for new flavors. I keep asking my Yogurtland if new flavors are on the way.

The good news is that Peanut Butter froyo finally returned to Yogurtland Pasadena. I hadn’t had it in almost a year and that’s not because I haven’t been going to Yogurtland. I go to Yogurtland once a week (at least). They just haven’t had it for that long! It’s so good with their peanut butter sauce, peanuts, mini Nutter Butter cookies, crushed Butterfingers and freshly whipped cream. Yum!

The bad news is that Peanut Butter froyo is gone again, though I think I can still find some if I go to another location.

Yogurtland has been emphasizing its existing flavors. If you don’t go to Yogurtland all the time like I do, it’s easy to miss some flavors. They used to come out with so many new ones that were only available for a few weeks, or even less. Some popular promotional flavors ran out in less than a week.

Best Classic Yogurtland Flavors:

• Plain Tart 
• Dragon Passion Tart 
• Peanut Butter 
• Sumatra Coffee 
• Matcha Green Tea 

Mr. Froyo favors Plain Tart, Peanut Butter, and Chocolate Milkshake. He will also get Pistachio, but otherwise, he doesn’t eat the other flavors.

 
Obscure Favorite Yogurtland Flavors:

• Honeycomb Tart 
• Yuzu Tart 
• Key Lime Tart 
• Black Currant Berry Tart 
• Wild Berry Tart 
• Blueberry Mangosteen Tart
• Cactus Berry Tart 
• Flan 
• Cookie Butter 
• Tweety’s Lemon Cream Cookie 
• Grandma’s Oatmeal Cookies 
• Caramel Macchiato 
• Geneva Chocolate 
• Chocolate Covered Pretzel
• Rare Madagascar Vanilla 

Worst Yogurtland Flavors: 

• Sun Kissed Strawberry Shortcake 
• Banana Cream 
• Raspberry Banana Greek 
• Chocolate Banana A’peel 
• Marvin the Martian’s Kosmic Fruit Kaboom sorbet 

Wow, that’s a lot of flavors! I probably forgot some that I really like and dislike. I’m looking forward to more new Yogurtland flavors.

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.

Menchie’s June Feature Flavors: Creamy Chocolate & Dole Whip Lime, Sweet Summer Sweeps

Fro-yo girl here. Happy National Frozen Yogurt Month! It’s a new month which means that Menchie’s has new feature flavors. They are:

* Creamy Chocolate froyo: This chocolate flavor is made with Ghirardelli chocolate and real sweetened condensed milk. It has no artificial flavors or colors and no high fructose corn syrup. It’s lowfat. I find that many chocolate flavors taste very similar. This one tasted like fudgsicles, but maybe a little more interesting because of the condensed milk. It was creamy and seemed richer but not heavy like a brownie or cake flavor. Recommended toppings: Chocolate sauce, almonds, Cool Whip, strawberries

* Dole Whip Lime: This is a sorbet. I love lime flavored everything, including this flavor because it delivers on the tang. It’s very tangy. Dole Whip Lime is made with no artificial flavors or colors and contains no high fructose corn syrup. Recommended toppings: Strawberries, mochi, graham crackers

Also, there’s a new Sweet Summer Sweeps from Menchie’s and Dole. The grand prize is a trip to Key West. To enter, use your MySmileage card at Menchie’s between June 1 and June 30, 2018.

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.

Pressed Juicery New Freeze Flavors, New Toppings, New Membership Program

Fro-yo girl here. When Pressed Juicery introduces a new Freeze flavor, they usually introduce one new flavor at a time. It’s been awhile since there was a new Freeze flavor; the last new flavor was Matcha Almond Freeze back in May 2017. I was excited to get an email from Pressed Juicery announcing two new flavors of Freeze, Creamy Coconut and Mango Turmeric. Both are nut free, plant-based (vegan), with no sugar added. I like how Freeze is made with just a few natural ingredients.

I went to Pressed Juicery at the Americana at Brand in Glendale, CA to try the new flavors. However, they were having problems with the soft serve machine, and weren’t able to serve either new flavor. And they weren’t sure when the problem would be resolved. I went to another location and they were having problems with the machine too. However, they did let me try Creamy Coconut though the texture was icier than it should be.

* Creamy Coconut (water, pineapple, coconut, vanilla extract, sea salt): It tasted like sweetened ice. I couldn’t detect pineapple or coconut. But every location that I went to had problems getting the texture right, so I didn’t try it with the texture they wanted to achieve.

* Mango Turmeric (apple, orange, mango, coconut, pineapple, turmeric): Mango flavors can be really sweet because mango is so sweet. I liked how this flavor wasn’t just mango. It was less sweet and I could taste the pineapple and quite a bit of turmeric. It was icier than their almond milk flavors but had a pleasant, clean flavor. They added a new topping for the mango, Tajin.

While I was there I noticed a sign for the new membership program. It’s free to join. You authorize Pressed Juicery to load a set dollar amount ($10 minimum) to your account every month. This allows you to enjoy the member discount, juices and Freeze for $5. The old loyalty program is separate and will continue but you won’t earn points on your membership purchases. You also can’t combine offers. The amounts do roll over and you can cancel at any time. It’s a good deal! Maybe froyo shops should consider offering something similar. It guarantees income, which will help shops deal with seasonal downturns. It might increase consumption too, since members are pre-paying for treats.

Sign up on the Pressed Juicery website or at one of their stores. https://www.pressedjuicery.com/

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.

25th Anniversary of National Frozen Yogurt Month

Fro-yo girl here. Happy National Frozen Yogurt Month. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the first National Frozen Yogurt Month. TCBY declared National Frozen Yogurt Month, National Frozen Yogurt Week (the first week of June) and National Frozen Yogurt Day (the first "Sundae/Sunday" in June) back in 1993.

Search Trends

It’s the time of year that I like to geek out and look at frozen yogurt search trends. That is, how often is frozen yogurt searched for on Google. This is roughly speaking, Google’s way to measure interest over time.

Before looking at the trends, my guess is that interest over time in frozen yogurt is still gradually declining since the peak in July 2012.

Guess what? I was right. The decline is pretty gradual since the frozen yogurt category is now mature and mainstream in the largest market, the US. As in previous years, the search volume is seasonal. Fewer people search for frozen yogurt during the winter.

In 2017, the top 5 countries by interest were #1. United States, #2. Canada, #3. Denmark, #4. Greece and #5. Australia. In 2018, frozen yogurt as a search term is the most popular in #1. United States, #2. Canada, #3. Australia, #4. Greece, #5. Denmark. The top two positions have stayed the same for years.

The top search queries in 2018 were #1. “frozen yogurt near me” and #2. frozen yogurt ice cream. People are using Google to find frozen desserts in their area. By US subregion, the number of searches for frozen yogurt was greatest in Washington (particularly the Seattle-Tacoma area), followed by Massachusetts and Arizona. 

Froyo Trends and Musings

Frozen yogurt shops continue to open and to close. It feels like the industry hasn’t come up with anything innovative in awhile and that prices continue to rise. I don’t want to pay over $6 for a snack. I keep my portions small at self-serve shops but I often see people paying $8-$10 for one cup of frozen yogurt. Portions are out of control and there are too many sweet, indulgent flavors inspired by cookies and candy. I like shops that provide small portions of nicely swirled frozen yogurt – yes, I’m talking about Pinkberry’s model. Soft serve ice cream places are following that model but froyo is stuck in a self-serve rut.

In the end, the places that I want to return to are the higher quality shops. I’d like to see healthier options (lower sugar) too. The best frozen yogurt is made in small batches with the best ingredients, from scratch. That said, I’ll always have a weakness for Yogurtland’s Plain Tart, Peanut Butter, and Sumatra Coffee and Pinkberry’s tart flavors.

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.