Orange Hokkaido Soft Ice Dessert Review

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve seen Hokkaido style soft serve cones for sale in the freezer section of several Asian markets, including Hmart in Arcadia and Mitsuwa in San Gabriel, CA. The cones are sold individually. I’ve seen two flavors at Hmart, vanilla and strawberry. The cones are imported from Japan. Hmart was selling the Orange Hokkaido cones for $1.99 each (sale price).

I saw single serve soft serve cones in the freezer section of several markets in Japan, though I didn’t see the Orange branded ones.

The conical packaging keeps the integrity of the soft serve swirl though the swirl looks more like squiggles than the typical soft serve swirls. I did notice that quite a few swirls of the cones at Hmart had melted but the packaging is clear, so look for a good-looking swirl if you’d like to buy one.

One cone is 6.08 fl oz, 150 calories, and 18g sugar.

* Vanilla soft serve cone: I didn’t think the cone texture or the soft serve would fare well once placed in the deep freeze. The cone wasn’t crunchy like a normal cone. It was soft and chewy. The soft serve ice cream was better than I expected. It was actually soft and creamy but it seemed blander. The treat was better than I expected though of course a fresh soft serve cone is better. I’m willing to try other brands.

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.

The IFYA Turns Five

The International Frozen Yogurt Association was launched on July 29, 2013. Today, it celebrates its fifth anniversary serving the frozen yogurt industry. I wanted to share the IFYA's anniversary message.

IFYA's 2018 Anniversary Message

Our Association Includes More Than 2,100 Members

Last July 2017, we had 1,800 members strong. This July, we have over 2,100 members in over 100 countries. While most of our members are in the US, we clearly have a strong international presence, even in small countries.

We’ve reached several big milestones in social media, including over 2,600 followers on Twitter, over 1,300 followers on Pinterest, nearly 2,200 followers on Instagram, and nearly 800 Facebook fans. Our community is growing everyday.

The State of Froyo Today

According to Technavio's most recent report published in 2017, the “frozen yogurt market in the US is expected to grow at a CAGR of almost 11% from 2017-2021.”

We continue to observe consolidation in the frozen yogurt industry. For example, sweetFrog has acquired several shops that were formerly part of franchises like Hoopla and U-Swirl. We recently saw a significant upsurge in frozen yogurt shop promotions for National Ice Cream Day, July 15. Many frozen yogurt shops have expanded their offerings to include soft serve ice cream. The other big story is robots in foodservice. Reis & Irvy's has signed many franchise agreements for their frozen yogurt robots and installed their robots in several states, with many more installations to come.

The National Frozen Yogurt Survey Returns

One of the ways the IFYA provides values is by tracking the state of the frozen yogurt industry. Last year, we launched the first National Frozen Yogurt Survey for consumers and for frozen yogurt shops. We are excited to conduct the survey again this fall. Here's a recap of what we found last year.

Shop Owner Survey Findings

Our overall impression was that our respondents were optimistic about the future of their business, though they were concerned about rising costs, finding and keeping good employees, and the seasonality of frozen yogurt demand.
The survey included questions such as how many hours a week do you spend managing the shop, what items does your shop sell (besides frozen yogurt), how well is your shop doing in terms of sales compared to this time last year, how satisfied are you with your decision to open your business, etc.

Consumer Survey Findings

Our survey included questions about loyalty, current consumption, future consumption, frozen yogurt attitudes and preferences and demographics. We found that 67% of respondents strongly agreed with the statement, I enjoy eating frozen yogurt. Furthermore, 28% somewhat agreed with the same statement, so only 5% did not agree. In other words, frozen yogurt is popular and well-liked.

We also included questions about how much they liked the major frozen yogurt chains, what shop attributes were important, what might increase their frozen yogurt shop visits, how often they consume frozen yogurt, taste preferences, etc. And, we looked at differences based on gender, age, region (geographic location) and frequency of froyo shop visits.

Please look for the new survey this fall and participate. The more responses we receive, the more useful the results will be for everyone. The results will help shop owners learn how they compared to other frozen yogurt shops, which suppliers are highly rated, and what consumers are looking for from froyo shops.

Offering Greater Membership Value

Our members can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars on essentials for their frozen yogurt shops. IFYA members continued to enjoy exclusive member discounts on frozen yogurt mix, frozen yogurt machines, toppings dispensers, cup dividers, payment processing, insurance and HR/payroll services.

We partnered with ADP to offer a valuable new membership benefit that includes 25% discount on payroll processing, waived implementation fees, and other special offers.

Corporate Sponsors

In addition to our advisory board and frozen yogurt industry experts, we’re thrilled to enjoy the support of our corporate sponsors. A huge thank you to our sponsors for helping us as we strive to promote the quality and success of the frozen yogurt industry:

• FrozenDessertSupplies.com
• Frozen Solutions
• Dannon YoCream

Please support our corporate sponsors and our advertisers when you’re looking for frozen yogurt supplies.

Anniversary Contest

We continued our tradition of having an anniversary contest with our first Froyo Stories contest. We invited frozen yogurt fans to share stories of their love of frozen yogurt.
Each entry was judged for creativity and evidence of frozen yogurt passion. The winner, @db.pottery, maintained a daily froyo blog called Zelda’s Froyo Adventures: https://zeldasfroyoadventures.wordpress.com/

“We are so thrilled to find someone with true froyo passion,” said Susan Linton, President of the International Frozen Yogurt Association. “Promoting the passion of froyo fans is an important part of our association’s mission.”


Warmest Regards,


Susan Linton
President, International Frozen Yogurt Association

Nubi Yogurt Closes Last Bay Area Locations

Fro-yo girl here. Nubi Yogurt started in SoCal with a location in Apple Valley, CA (San Bernardino County) that opened in February 2008. Their first Bay Area location opened in Millbrae in June 2008. At one point, Nubi Yogurt had 6 locations in the Bay Area, including:

• Millbrae 
• San Mateo 
• San Francisco (West Portal) 
• San Francisco (Mission) 
• San Leandro 
• San Jose 

The last two locations to close were Millbrae and San Francisco (16th St., Mission). The Nubi Yogurt owners also own Ono Hawaiian BBQ which now has 73 locations. Back in the good old days, I could get lunch at Ono on Sloat and the receipt included a coupon for Nubi, which was located in the same shopping center. Nubi receipts sometimes had Ono coupons. Nubi Millbrae always seemed to be busy.

There was never a Ono/Nubi combined location, to my knowledge, even though Ono should at least serve Dole Whip? I heard from a Nubi employee that the yogurt business just wasn’t as profitable, so the owners were focused on growing Ono. I quite liked their Original Tart flavor.

Nubi Yogurt still has locations in Apple Valley, Redlands, and Moreno Valley, CA.

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 Monrovia Closes

Fro-yo girl here. I was somewhat surprised to learn that Menchie’s Monrovia at the Huntington Oaks Plaza closed earlier this year. I’d been going there for years and it always seemed to be empty. Then several Menchie’s opened closer to where I live (Glendale, Eagle Rock, El Monte, South El Monte), so I stopped going to the Monrovia location.

That isn’t to say that I won’t miss Menchie’s Monrovia. Two years ago I named it as the best Menchie’s in the area. The service was great, they usually had the new flavors, and they usually answered the phone. Reading reviews from this year, Menchie’s Monrovia reduced its hours and wasn’t open on weekends. The toppings supplier claims that their company hasn't been paid.

The Monrovia location still looks like a Menchie’s though the froyo machines and toppings bar have been removed. They have a custom Menchie’s Huntington Oaks mat that I’d love to have. There is no sign in the window explaining why they closed.

RIP, Menchie’s Monrovia.

* MENCHIE’S: 606 W Huntington Dr., Monrovia, CA 91016

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.

Yoga-urt Turns Three with a New Flavor, Contest, Special Offer and Fundraiser

Fro-yo girl here. Happy Third Anniversary to Yoga-urt! Yoga-urt is celebrating its third anniversary this weekend, July 21-22.

First, there’s a new anniversary flavor, Birthday Cake. We both tried it. It wasn’t too sweet and it tasted like vanilla cake. The texture was smooth, thick, and creamy. Like other Yoga-urt flavors, it’s plant-based, probiotic, organic, gluten free, vegan, kosher, soy free, and hand-crafted. Recommended toppings: Cookies, cake pieces and sprinkles. 

Wait, birthday cake needs a yoga name. Birthday Cake Bliss? Bhakti Birthday Cake?

Second, during the anniversary weekend, you can enjoy $1 off soft serve and smoothies between 2 PM – 5 PM. Also, $1 of every transaction during Yoga-urt’s anniversary weekend will be donated to RAICES, a non-profit that provides low cost legal services to underserved immigrant families. Yay!

Finally, Yoga-urt just launched an Instagram contest. To enter, (1) take a picture of your Yoga-urt creation on July 21 or 22, (2) post your picture and use hashtags #YogaurtTurnsThree and #yogaurt, tag @yoga_urt in your Instagram post. Three winners will win $50 Yoga-urt gift cards. Winners will be chosen on July 23. I think you get bonus points for yoga poses.

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.

Bee & Tea/Forever Yogurt Opens in San Jose

Fro-yo girl here. In a surprising turn of events, Bee & Tea/Forever Yogurt is back in California, with the late June opening in San Jose. Both of their previous California locations, in Morgan Hill and Walnut Creek, closed last year. The new location is at 1510 Monterey Rd. #30, San Jose, CA. Bee & Tea offers boba drinks, froyo, and steamed Asian baos. There are 10 flavors of froyo swirling daily and it’s self-serve.

The grand opening will take place on Saturday, July 28, 2018 at 1 PM.

Details:

• Save 20% off everything 
• The first 25 people in line will get free boba and froyo for a year. Unfortunately, I can’t make it to the grand opening. 

Follow the new location on Instagram at @bee_and_tea_

Bee & Tea is planning to open a new location in Montclair, CA.

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.

Siggi’s No Sugar Added Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. Earlier this year, Siggi’s introduced a new no sugar added strained yogurt product. I didn’t see it at the places that I normally shop, but then I found some at Whole Foods Pasadena for $1.59. One cup is 4.4 ounces of strained whole milk yogurt. No sugar is added but the yogurt is sweetened by the addition of fruit. Each cup contains 5g of sugar and 10g of protein. The product is all natural, like all Siggi’s products. The product does not use sugar alternatives, preservatives, or gelatin.

* Peach & Mango yogurt: The peach and mango bits are blended into the yogurt. The bits are teeny. Otherwise, the yogurt is thick, heavy, smooth, and rich. It was definitely pretty sour. Because of the cream, it coated the tongue. I think I’d need to have it with granola or fresh fruit to add a little more sweetness. One cup is 120 calories.

Ingredients: Pasteurized whole milk, pasteurized cream, peaches, mangos, fruit pectin, live active cultures.

Is it skyr? I guess not, since it doesn’t say that it’s skyr on the packaging.

Available flavors: Peach & Mango, Banana & Cinnamon

4 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.

Menchie’s July Featured Flavors: Watermelon Sorbet & Blue Raspberry Sorbet

Fro-yo girl here. Menchie’s has just launched two new Jolly Rancher sorbet flavors, Watermelon Sorbet and Blue Raspberry Sorbet. After visiting two Menchie’s, I’ve only seen one of the new flavors. I’ll have to try Watermelon Sorbet later. I should have gone to Menchie’s Glendale because they have the new flavors.

* Blue Raspberry Sorbet made with Jolly Rancher: The color and flavor were more intense than Yogurtland’s Blue Raspberry Sorbet made with Jolly Rancher. Menchie’s seems to use more Jolly Rancher flavoring. The texture was soft, icy, and smooth. I grew up with blue raspberry flavored candy and ICEEs, so I did like the tangy sweetness of this flavor – though I’ve outgrown that type of flavor. Recommended toppings: Sour Patch Kids or any sour gummi candy.

* Watermelon Sorbet made with Jolly Rancher: I didn’t find it but I know that Blue Raspberry Jolly Rancher tastes better than Watermelon Jolly Rancher. Recommended toppings: Nerds.

Both sorbets are nonfat, gluten free, and dairy free. Hurry in because they’re around while supplies last.

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.

First National Ice Cream Day Celebration at Yogurtland & A New Yogurtland Spoon

Fro-yo girl here. With more froyo shops serving soft serve ice cream these days, this year’s National Ice Cream Day was celebrated by a good number of froyo shops, including 16 Handles, Yogurt Mountain, Pinkberry, Oregon Frozen Yogurt, Yogurt Breeze, The Skinny Dip, Menchie’s (Victorville & Hesperia, CA), and Yogurtland.

This was the first National Ice Cream Day celebration at Yogurtland. All US Yogurtland locations participated by offering a BOGO free deal on Sunday, July 15 from 1 PM – 6 PM, handing out *NEW* Blue Flip Flop spoons, and offering five flavors of ice cream. The BOGO offer is valid for Yogurtland’s froyo and sorbet flavors as well.

The five ice cream flavors offered were:

• Rich Chocolate Ice Cream 
• Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream 
• Chocolate Malt Ball Ice Cream Made With Whoppers® 
• Butter Pecan Light Ice Cream 
• Oreo® Cookies and Crème Ice Cream 

Since I’ve tried all those ice cream flavors, I was most looking forward to getting a new Yogurtland spoon. Mission accomplished. I filled my cups with froyo, of course.

Also, I’d like to commend Yogurtland Pasadena (Lake Ave.) for having all five flavors of ice cream and the blue flip flop spoons. They ran out of the EL Fudge cookie sandwiches that I liked, but I’m not surprised. Promotional toppings and flavors are available while supplies last.

By the way, National Ice Cream Month (July) and National Ice Cream Day (July 15) were signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on July 9, 1984, with Presidential Proclamation 5219.

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.

Yogurtland's First National Ice Cream Day Celebration is This Sunday

Fro-yo girl here. Attention froyo and ice cream fans. Yogurtland is celebrating National Ice Cream Day, on Sunday, July 15, for the first time with a special buy one, get one free deal. They’ll also have *NEW* Blue Flip Flop spoons to commemorate this very special day. And they’ll have five flavors of ice cream, including a returning favorite, Oreo® Cookies and Crème Ice Cream.

The buy one, get one free offer is good from 1 PM - 6 PM local time on July 15 at US Yogurtland locations. You can use it to get froyo, of course. I know I will! I can't wait to get my hands on the new Yogurtland spoons.

Here's the official press release:

Yogurtland Celebrates National Ice Cream Day On July 15, 2018

— Five Handcrafted Ice Cream Flavors Will be Available and Special Buy-one, Get-one Free Offer from 1 – 6pm –

(IRVINE, CA) July 9, 2018 – The popular self-serve dessert spot, Yogurtland announces plans to celebrate National Ice Cream Day at all US locations on July 15 with a buy one, get one free offer from 1:00PM – 6:00PM local time. After introducing ice cream to its lineup last summer, Yogurtland has continued to swirl up delicious handcrafted ice cream flavors for its fans. For National Ice Cream Day, Yogurtland will serve five ice cream flavors as well as other frozen yogurt and sorbet flavors, giving fans a variety of options to create a celebratory treat as unique as they are.

Yogurtland’s celebration of ice cream includes five delicious scratchmade ice cream flavors – Rich Chocolate Ice Cream, Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream,Chocolate Malt Ball Ice Cream Made With Whoppers®, Butter Pecan Light Ice Cream** and Oreo® Cookies and Crème Ice Cream plus the usual lineup of craveable frozen yogurt flavors.

“Ice cream has become a huge part of Yogurtland’s attraction for those who desire to create their own treats. This is our first National Ice Cream Day celebration and we are bringing in these incredible flavors for this special day,” said John Wayne Carlson, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Development, and Operations at Yogurtland. “Normally we have three ice cream flavors on offer, but for this special event we are bringing back two big favorites that feature Oreo® and Whoppers®. Alongside these great flavors will be Yogurtland’s first Light Ice Cream**, our amazing Butter Pecan. The Whoppers ® and Oreo® flavors will be available again beginning on this day while supplies last, so we urge our fans to come early!”

Yogurtland’s flavorologists are continually creating craveable flavors that keep fans loving their frozen dessert experience. Yogurtland owns its own dairy, and by controlling the frozen yogurt and ice cream making process, the company can deliver the highest quality flavors, setting new standards for millions of fans.

Yogurtland features non-fat and low-fat yogurt flavors, ice cream, and non-dairy and no sugar added choices while using milk that does not contain antibiotics or added hormones. Fruit flavors are fortified with Vitamin C for an extra boost.

Presently Yogurtland has more than 320 locations across the U.S., Australia, United Arab Emirates, Guam, Myanmar, Oman, Singapore, Thailand, and Venezuela. Flavors are always subject to creative change and popular demand. For more information, visit http://www.yogurt-land.com or http://www.facebook.com/yogurtland.

# # #

**Fat Content has been reduced from 10g per 100g to 4.8g per 100g as compared to our Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream.

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.

Learning How to Make Your Own Kombucha

Fro-yo girl here. If you like kombucha, you should consider making your own. It’s easy once you have a few supplies. I took a three hour kombucha making workshop at Culture Club 101 in Pasadena. We learned the ins and outs of kombucha making from the founder/owner, Elaina Luther. Elaina’s been making kombucha for 25 years, so she’s definitely a kombucha and fermentation expert.

The class covered the history of kombucha, health benefits of kombucha, recommended types of teas to use for making kombucha (some work better than others), how to take care of your SCOBY, and kombucha recipes. We enjoyed multiple kombucha and fermented beverages during the workshop and left with a glass jar with a batch of kombucha and SCOBY, tea towel, cheesecloth, and a jar of kombucha raspberry sauce that Elaina made during the class. We basically had a batch of kombucha ready for home fermentation that we prepared during the workshop. The kombucha raspberry sauce was amazing. I love adding it to plain or honey yogurt for extra tang. 

Other necessary accessories for home kombucha brewing include a stainless steel pot, strainer, funnel, ladle, resealable glass bottles, distilled or spring water, sugar, and tea. The SCOBY is best kept at 80-85 degrees. You may want to invest in a heating mat as well. I would recommend getting another glass jar to store your extra scobies. Use the extra scobies to experiment or as insurance, in case some of your scobies get sick or die. The mother SCOBY will eventually need to be retired when she gets dark or yeasty.

Culture Club 101’s housemade kombucha is the best we’ve ever had. Commercial brands aren't as potent. Some taste more like juice or soda than kombucha. We like our kombucha strong and potent.

The workshop teaches you exactly how it’s made, but then you can get creative by adding juice, herbs, and spices. To make stronger kombucha, use more tea. I also found a lot of kombucha brewing tips online, on websites like KombuchaKamp.com and Cuturesforhealth.com. You can also buy kombucha brewing supplies from both of those websites.

I've made several very successful batches of kombucha since the workshop. My favorite addition to the kombucha so far is a sprig of fresh rosemary. 

* CULTURE CLUB 101: 1392 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91104

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.

Culture Club 101 in Pasadena, CA, Champion of the Human Microbiome

Fro-yo girl here. We recently visited Culture Club 101 and have become regular customers, because they have the best kombucha around. Culture Club 101 is all about supporting the human microbiome. They do this by producing fermented foods and beverages, teaching others about fermented foods, and offering specialized nutrient-dense groceries and prepared foods. What they make is made in small batches, the traditional way. Their foods are heirloom, sprouted, pasture-raised, humanely raised, organic, non-GMO, soy-free, biodynamic, permaculture, sustainable, bird-friendly, etc. They’re eco-friendly to the extreme.

They carry specialty foods, like farm fresh eggs, bird friendly coffee, cashew cheese, raw dairy products, grass-fed beef, pasture-raised chicken, etc. Then they make a lot of fermented foods – many kinds of kraut, kraut juice, water kefir, kombucha, fermented soda, etc. I haven’t seen some of what they make elsewhere – e.g., water kefir, jun, bird friendly coffee that they roast themselves. The café serves pastries, healthy bowls, salads, toast, paninis, coffee, bone broth, etc. They don’t have frozen yogurt, but they do have an abundance of probiotic foods.

The komucha ($4/bottle, available on tap) is made in small batches on site, the old-fashioned way. It’s stronger and not as sweet as commercial kombucha. It’s got a real bite. It smells like and tastes like vinegar but with a pleasant, sweet, apple cider aftertaste. If you like it stronger or weaker, take the kombucha making class and brew your own.

Culture Club 101 is more than a store but it’s more about a lifestyle. You can become a member if you believe in their mission or donate to their Go Fund Me campaign. If you love fermented foods, want to improve your gut health or want a healthy, nourishing meal, visit them.

* CULTURE CLUB 101: 1392 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91104

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 Froyo Stories Contest for Froyo Fans

Fro-yo girl here. The International Frozen Yogurt Association would like to hear your froyo stories. Share your story of how you’ve demonstrated your love of frozen yogurt for a chance to win the Sweet Summer Prize Package. 

HOW TO ENTER 

To enter, post your original froyo story to the comments section on IFYA’s contest post on Instagram (IG: @intlfroyoassn) from now until midnight, July 18, 2018. Or you can email your frozen yogurt story with the subject line, Froyo Stories Contest, to info@internationalfrozenyogurt.com.

Each entry received during the contest period will be judged for creativity and evidence of frozen yogurt passion. One grand prize winner will be announced on July 29, 2018. There is no minimum word requirement. Multiple stories from the same author are welcome.

Note, Instagram has a limit of 2200 characters (about 400 words). If your story is longer than Instagram's limit, send it via email. 

SWEET SUMMER PRIZE PACKAGE

The Grand Prize Winner will receive a Sweet Summer Prize Package which includes the following: 

• Mini Squishable Soft Serve Ice Cream plush toy 
• Menchie’s dodge ball with pump 
• 3 drink mix packets from Frozen Bean 
• Soft serve froyo cone sidewalk chalk 
• Toly Moly mini blueberry lip balm 
• Sour watermelon gummies 
• Other surprises 

ELIGIBILITY

This contest is open to US residents (age 13 and over please).

For the complete contest rules, visit http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/official-rules-for-the-froyo-stories-contest/ 

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.

Cado Avocado Ice Cream Review

Fro-yo girl here. Cado is the first avocado based ice cream or non-dairy frozen dessert. It checks all the boxes: it’s dairy-free, vegan, gluten free, plant based, organic, soy free, non-GMO, nutrient dense, and has heart healthy fats. Cado has less sugar than the leading brands of non-dairy frozen desserts. It’s made with fresh avocados.

Doesn’t everyone or almost everyone love avocados? I know that I do. Mr. Froyo does and he loves the idea of using avocados to make a creamy faux ice cream.

Available flavors: Deep Dark Chocolate, Lemon, Mint Chocolate Chip

Whole Foods Pasadena had all three flavors. Cado was $6.99 for a pint. Simply Lemon sounded appealing to me, since I love the tartness of lemons.

Simply Lemon: The lemon flavor was super strong and very tangy. I’d say it was too strong since I couldn’t taste anything but lemon juice concentrate. Lemon juice concentrate isn’t quite as tasty as lemon juice. The texture was firm, creamy, dense, smooth, and almost chewy. One ½ cup serving is 170 calories, 12g total fat, 13g sugars, 18g total carbohydrate, and 1g of protein. 

Mr. Froyo ate most of it because it was healthy and simple, but he feels the lemon flavor is unnecessary.

Ingredients: Organic Avocado Puree (Water, Organic Avocado), Non Organic Avocado Oil, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Tapioca Starch, Organic Lemon Juice Concentrate, Sea Salt, Organic Guar Gum, Organic Gum Acacia, Organic Lemon Oil

I’d like to see a plain version. Why mask the flavor of avocado? Cado is trying to be like regular ice cream with traditional flavors. They emphasize the fact that their ice cream doesn’t taste like avocados. But, what’s wrong with tasting like avocados???

P.S. Cado is not frozen yogurt. 

4 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.

Menchie’s July Featured Flavors: Four Jolly Rancher Sorbet Flavors

Fro-yo girl here. Call 2018 the summer of Jolly Rancher sorbet. First, Orange Leaf partnered with Jolly Rancher for two new flavors, Green Apple Sorbet and Blue Raspberry Sorbet in May. Then, Yogurtland partnered with Jolly Rancher to introduce its Blue Raspberry Sorbet in June. And now Menchie’s has partnered with Jolly Rancher for four new flavors, Green Apple Sorbet, Cherry Sorbet, Watermelon Sorbet, and Blue Raspberry Sorbet.

Green Apple Sorbet and Cherry Sorbet have a July 1 launch date, while Watermelon Sorbet and Blue Raspberry Sorbet will be launched on July 16.

New flavors:

* Cherry Sorbet made with Jolly Rancher flavor: This tastes like Cherry ICEE and the texture was firm, smooth and icy. I’ve always liked cherry candies but I don’t really want them in soft serve form because they don’t taste natural. Cherry sorbet is nonfat, gluten free, and dairy free. Recommended toppings: Gummi bears

* Green Apple Sorbet made with Jolly Rancher flavor: This tastes like Green Apple Jolly Rancher, so it’s tangier than the Cherry Sorbet. The flavor is very strong and artificial. The texture was similar to the Cherry Sorbet. Recommended toppings: Sour gummi worms, popping boba.

It’s rare that I like a sorbet. Sorbets tend to be icy and too sweet. Also, fruit flavored sorbets should taste natural, in my opinion, rather than like candy. This trend of candy flavors from frozen yogurt chains is disappointing for adults who are health-conscious and/or have more sophisticated palates. I stopped buying Jolly Rancher candies when I became an adult.

Menchie’s is also sponsoring a summer contest called Summer of Wonder. To enter, make your favorite Menchie’s mix and top it w/ OREOs, post a pic of your mix on Instagram or Twitter with the following tags, @MyMenchies, @OREO, #OREOMenchiesSweepstakes from July 1-31, 2018. The grand prize is $1,000.

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.