Soy Froyo, Wherefore Art Thou?

Fro-yo girl here. Did you know that April is National Soy Foods Month? This is the month to celebrate the soybean and it made me miss soy frozen yogurt all the more. Anti-soy sentiment has been around for years, probably because most domestic soybean crops are genetically modified. But, there isn’t strong evidence that GMO-soybeans are harmful. In fact, soy has many health benefits. Soy is a complete protein that’s low in saturated fat. It may reduce levels of LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol), diabetes risk and the risk of some types of cancer.

Years ago, Loving Cup in San Francisco offered a soy base option for their hand-mixed froyo. But, since soy fell out of favor, they switched to a banana base and the last time I went, the vegan option was coconut based. Fraiche used to have a soy froyo but all their locations have closed, except for the one at SFO International Airport. Also, I think they switched to making vegan froyo using almond milk.

Tutti Frutti and 16 Handles are the only sizeable chains that have introduced soy froyo. Tutti Frutti may still offer soy froyo but I haven’t seen it there for years.

These are the places where you can still get soy froyo.

1. 16 Handles introduced its first soy flavor in 2014, Yo Soy Vanilla, followed by Yo Soy Chocolate. I’m not sure how often it’s offered now, especially since they’ve gone on to introduce other types of dairy-free froyo, including almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, and oat milk (new in 2020).
2. 21 Choices Frozen Yogurt (Claremont & Pasadena, CA): The soy froyo is made with organic soy milk and their flavors are all made in-house. Soy froyo is sometimes offered. Even if it isn’t there, they always have a dairy-free option. I like their peanut butter soy froyo.
3. Bishco (Gloucester, MA) is a cafe that also serves mix in froyo, including tofu froyo.
4. Cafe 472 (Boston, MA) serves pizza, sandwiches, salads, and froyo, including tofu frozen yogurt.
5. Cafe Podima (Boston, MA) is a pizza restaurant that also serves froyo. Tofu froyo is listed on the menu.
6. Chil (London, ON, Canada) claims to have Canada’s largest selection of froyo toppings and vegan froyo, had soy froyo but I’m not sure if they still offer it. They also have vegan froyo made with almond milk, oat milk, and quinoa milk. The single location is self-serve.
7. Citra (Seattle, WA) in Seattle’s University District has dairy-based froyo but it’s the soy froyo that gets the rave reviews. Try your froyo with snow ice.
8. Frozen By a Thousand Blessings (Australia), the first froyo shop in Australia to use biodynamic milk and yoghurt, offers two vegan soy-based flavors, Mango & Soy and Soy Strawberry. The froyo is self-serve.
9. Humphrey Yogart (Sherman Oaks, CA): Humphrey Yogart has been serving up old school mix in style froyo since 1984. They moved across the parking lot and into Gelson’s in 2016 but they brought their organic soy base option for mix in froyo with them. I like their matcha froyo that’s made with imported Japanese matcha powder.
10. Kushco Bistro (Salem, MA) is another greater Boston eatery that carries tofu froyo with mix-ins. I'm sensing a pattern here. Bishco and Kushco sound so similar. 
11. Moochie (Belgium) is a counter serve froyo chain that according to Happy Cow, offers vegan soy froyo. There’s even proof in the form of a picture.
12. Tutti Frutti (worldwide) started offering soybean frozen yogurt in 2012. The soybean froyo is made with non-GMO, US grown soybeans. Their range of 19 soy froyo flavors is the widest I’ve seen. Some of the soy flavors are Spiced Cake, Red Bean, Latte, Black Sesame, and Taro. And 10% of the sales go to the Real Green Project to help fight childhood hunger. I noticed that many Tutti Frutti locations don’t carry any soy flavors though. Tutti Frutti La Crescenta used to on a regular basis but then they closed (and moved). I haven’t been going to the new location, so I’m not sure how often they carry soy froyo.
13. Yo-Chi (Australia) is a self-serve froyo mini chain that sometimes offers a soy-based froyo. Banana Soybean is one of their soy flavors.
14. Yo-Get-It (Australia, China) has a variety of soy froyo flavors and a self-serve format. Soy froyo flavors include Banana, Chai, Mango, Passionfruit, and Wildberry.
15. YOMARO (Germany) offers a vegan soy froyo that gets good reviews, along with the vegan bubble waffles.
16. YOMG (Australia) started as a self-serve froyo shop and expanded into burgers. Their vegan soy froyo flavors include banana soy cinnamon and soy chai. They even have vegan burgers and vegan waffle cones.
17. Yumorama (Mexico) is a self-serve froyo chain that has a soy froyo option that’s also free of added sugars

Even though it isn’t froyo, I did want to give a shout out to the tofu flower soft serve at Big Softee in Monterey Park, CA. If you like tofu pudding, Big Softee’s version has the ginger syrup and flavor of tofu/soy milk that you’ll recognize. Uji Time has tofu soft serve too, but it isn’t as good as Big Softee’s.

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.

October is Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt Month

Fro-yo girl here. Ahhhh October, my favorite month of the year...everyday is a buildup to the best day of the year, Halloween. The leaves taken on rich autumnal hues and the pumpkin frozen yogurt returns. I hope to enjoy Blush, Easy Breezy, and Fraiche’s pumpkin frozen yogurt multiple times. 

For those of you who aren’t in the Bay Area, do have some Pumpkin Pie frozen yogurt at Yogurtland. It’s lovely and pumpkiny without being too sweet. Menchie's has just introduced a new pumpkin flavor called, It's Pumpkin Time, made with real pumpkin puree and available in October. I haven't tried it yet.

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream offers Dutch Apple Crunch Yogurt and Pumpkin Yogurt throughout October. I’ve never been to one of their locations (it's not in my area) but their seasonal flavors, especially the October ones, sound tempting.

Every October I go to Half Moon Bay to pick out my pumpkins from a real pumpkin farm (Bob’s). The HMB fro-yo shops better have that pumpkin frozen yogurt ready for me.

I might be making some pumpkin frozen yogurt at home. I made a few batches last October but I’m still tweaking and perfecting my recipe. I also love pumpkin muffins...maybe I’ll save one and use it as a frozen yogurt topping.

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's 2011 Wish List

Fro-yo girl here. Happy Fro-yo New Year! Hope your resolution includes eating more fro-yo in 2011. I'm thinking ahead to what I'd like to see happen in 2011 to come up with my 2011 fro-yo wish list. Since my 2010 wish list items didn't come true, those items are back on the list.

I know fro-yo is coming to SFO International Airport, so I don't have to wish for that. I still haven't tried Yolato's fro-yo popsicles. I want to try Jamba Juice's Whirlin's fro-yo (it's the mix-in kind). My friend wants to see a fro-yo freezer (a freezer built specifically for fro-yo storage).

* Signature fro-yo spoons: I need more of these. I like to use them for home fro-yo consumption.
* Signature recyclable fro-yo cups: Berry Chill lets you collect theirs and bring them back for free fro-yo. I love that idea.
* Mobile fro-yo truck makes it to the Bay Area: This has to be the year. We can't let ourselves be that behind the times. Maybe Twirl & Dip can add fro-yo. They're already serving Straus soft-serve ice cream from their truck.
* Give someone the gift of fro-yo instantly: I've purchased fro-yo gift cards but it's a hassle to have to send it to someone. Fraiche and others have the right idea by allowing you to send your gift certificate by e-mail to someone instantly.
* More Greek fro-yo: Since Greek yogurt is so popular, it seems like more fro-yo places would come up with fro-yo using Greek yogurt as a base. Grahamwich in Chicago has a Greek fro-yo soft serve that I must try.
* Macarons with fro-yo: I know of fro-yo places that sell macarons and macaron places that sell soft-serve ice cream...I'm hoping to encounter a fro-yo sundae with macarons on top OR a giant macaron with fro-yo in the middle!

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

Best New Fro-yo Flavors in 2010

Fro-yo girl here. Before the year ends, I wanted to acknowledge my favorite new fro-yo flavors. These were fro-yo flavors introduced in the Bay Area during 2010. I didn't get a chance to try every new flavor but the following are the ones that I liked the best.

* Fraiche Yogurt's Pumpkin: Creamy, fresh, natural tasting, full of pumpkin flavor, this was a brilliant new flavor (only the fifth one they've introduced). It's even better with their homemade mochi.
* Blush's Pink Lemonade Tart: Blush comes out with amazing new flavors every year and this year my new favorite was Pink Lemonade. It's one of their tarter flavors but with the right amount of sweetness.
* Tuttimelon Japanese Yogurt: I fell in love with it the moment I tried it. Similar to their original fro-yo but with that distinctive tangy Yakult like flavor. You can still find it at their Irving St. location.
* Yogurtland Yuzu Tart Yogurt: Available a few months ago, it tasted like orange + lemon, tangy and sweet, the way I like my fro-yo

I'm excited about the new fro-yo flavors that 2011 will bring.

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

Streets of Fro-yo

Fro-yo girl here. Once a year I talk about fro-yo hot spots, cities where the most fro-yo activity is occurring. Today I wanted to recognize specific streets in San Francisco. Which SF street has the most fro-yo shops?

Right now it's Fillmore St., so let's take a look at the fro-yo shops on Fillmore.

* JUBILI - 1515 Fillmore St. Now that Yogurt Bar has closed, Jubili is the oldest tart fro-yo shop in SF. The fro-yo hasn't changed much recently (same flavors) but they added cupcakes and cookies (a line called Velveteen Sweets). I wonder why they stopped coming out with new fro-yo flavors?
* FRAICHE - 1910 Fillmore St. Fraiche's organic fro-yo is really great right now and their homemade mochi cubes are the best. I like how the mochi is bigger and fresher than the mochi at other fro-yo shops. Their newish pumpkin flavor is amazing and I like those yogurt muffins too.
* YOPPI YOGURT - 2208 Fillmore St. They opened up recently and brought self-serve fro-yo to this street. It's a cute shop (like those Yoppi characters) though on the small side for a fro-yo shop.
* ROYAL GROUND COFFEE - 2060 Fillmore St. Okay, it's not a fro-yo shop but they do have one machine. I would avoid it. Fro-yo feels like an afterthought here.

Quickly on Fillmore had a frozen yogurt sign but when I went inside, they didn't have fro-yo.

Union Street and Irving Street are also good streets for fro-yo.

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

Halloween Spirit Fro-yo Shop Report

Fro-yo girl here. I love it when Halloween is on a Sunday because Halloween festivities start up on Friday and it feels like a Halloween long weekend. It also gives me time to drive around the Bay Area and check out the fro-yo shops. This year I saw fewer and less elaborate Halloween decorations in fro-yo shops (compared to last year). Cupcake shops are showing more Halloween spirit.



My fro-yo shop 2010 Halloween Spirit Award goes to...Blush Burlingame. They transformed the store into an aquarium and gave out full size candy bars and snacks for kids and Blush frequent buyer cards with stamps for adults. And their pumpkin fro-yo is amazing.







I also checked out the following:
* JUBILI: some Halloween window decals, pumpkin inside
* FRAICHE: paper bats in the window, pumpkins inside
* TUTTIMELON UNION CITY: green spiderwebs above, fair amount of decorations
* TUTTIMELON BURLINGAME: some decorations
* TUTTIMELON WEST PORTAL: no Halloween decorations (sadly), but I still recommend their pumpkin gelato with a swirl of original tart on top
* YA-UA: cute decorations
* YOGURT GOGO: no decorations
* NUBI SF: no decorations, but they feature pumpkin pie fro-yo

I'm hoping to see more Halloween spirit next year.

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

I'm Craving Pumpkin Tart Fro-yo

Fro-yo girl here. Pumpkin pie fro-yo, pumpkin spice fro-yo, and pumpkin fro-yo are showing up in fro-yo shops across the country. While I enjoy sweet pumpkin fro-yo, my heart belongs to tart pumpkin fro-yo.

My top three tart pumpkin fro-yo spots are: Blush Organic Frozen Yogurt, Culture Organic Frozen Yogurt and Fraiche (also organic pumpkin fro-yo, I believe). Pumpkin fro-yo is new to Fraiche and it's amazing with their homemade mochi cubes. Culture's pumpkin fro-yo tastes fabulous with their crunchy housemade caramel corn. Yum. And Blush's pumpkin can be topped with whipped cream, just like pumpkin pie.

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

* CULTURE ORGANIC FROZEN YOGURT: 340 S. California Ave, Palo Alto, CA
* FRAICHE: locations in Palo Alto and San Francisco
* BLUSH ORGANIC FROZEN YOGURT: locations in Walnut Creek, San Francisco, Burlingame and Dublin

Future Fro-yo Shop Picture: Yoppi Yogurt

Fro-yo girl here. A cute new sign went up in the window of the old olive oil shop (Olivier & Co.) - Yoppi Yogurt is coming soon. The sign depicts a winter scene with snowflakes - will they open this winter? It will be the fourth fro-yo serving place on Fillmore, joining Fraiche, Royal Ground Coffee, and Jubili (they're all within walking distance of each other). Moyo's Yogurt is also close by but not on Fillmore St.

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

* YOPPI YOGURT: 2208 Fillmore St., San Francisco, CA

My New Lunchtime Obsession

Fro-yo girl here. At first I was skeptical about combining warm steel-cut oatmeal with cold fro-yo, but it's a combination that really works. Now I find myself craving Fraiche's SF Chronicle Special ($5.95 + tax): steel cut oatmeal, your choice of five toppings, fresh or frozen yogurt (choose frozen!). The creamy organic fro-yo, fresh fruit toppings and oatmeal are all simple and natural. The oatmeal makes the snack substantive enough to have for lunch. The toppings insulate the fro-yo from the oatmeal and even if it does melt a bit, it still tastes great with oatmeal. Plus, you can get homemade mochi as a topping!

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

* FRAICHE: 1901 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA, 94115

Fro-yo Shop Innovators

Fro-yo girl here. My last post about the new fro-yo hot spots (cities) in 2009 made me want to recognize a few special fro-yo shops that have been innovators in the field of tart fro-yo. These innovators offered something unique long before others in the area caught on. While they didn't invent fro-yo, they created something memorable and special in the field of fro-yo. In no particular order, the shops are:

* BERRYLINE (BOSTON, MA): Now with three locations in the Boston area, BerryLine creates unique flavors like Nutella, Banana, Oreo and Apple Cinnamon. They originally opened in September 2007 and brought tart fro-yo to Boston. You can even send your friend a cup of BerryLine via your cell phone at http://www.kangogift.com/SendGift.aspx?id=133
* STARFRUIT (CHICAGO, IL): They introduced frozen kefir to the US market. Currently Starfruit has three locations in the Chicago area. Frozen kefir looks just like soft serve fro-yo and Starfruit offers similar toppings. The concept was created by Lifeway, the country's leading manufacturer of kefir.
* SNO:LA (BEVERLY HILLS, CA): Sno:la's fro-yo tastes like no one else's - it's intense, sour and barely sweetened. It's made without any refined sugars, with organic dairy and seasonal fruits. The mochi can't be missed. Sno:la is eco-friendly and 1% of their gross proceeds go to the Slow Food movement.
* CULTURE ORGANIC FROZEN YOGURT (PALO ALTO, CA): Culture stays busy inventing new fro-yo flavors, fro-yo creations (Yo'wiches) and fro-yo toppings. They even had frozen kefir for awhile. Mary, the brilliant toppings-in-chief bakes up a storm including crumbles, mini meringue cookies, brownies, etc. She made marshmallow creme and flaxseed cones. Everything is organic and eco-friendly. No one else offers all organic toppings.
* FRAICHE FROZEN YOGURT (PALO ALTO, CA): They make their own yogurt with organic milk. And they make their own fro-yo. Though it took them awhile to offer mochi, their mochi was worth the wait. The new SF location is gorgeous and both locations also offer delicious baked goods. They're also famous for offering fresh chocolate shavings (shaved to order).
* MOCHII YOGURT (SACRAMENTO, CA): Mochii Yogurt brought delicious, handcrafted mochi and tart fro-yo to Sacramento back in 2007. The array of mochi flavors is awe-inspiring. Past mochi flavors included blackberry, mandarin orange, cherry, kiwi, peach, ume, and the list goes on.
* YOGIZMO (SANTA CRUZ, CA): YoGizmo brought mix-in style fro-yo and tart soft-serve fro-yo to Scotts Valley in 2007 and added a Santa Cruz location in 2009. The owner was inspired by the tart mix-in fro-yo she enjoyed in Canada. You can get also get soy ice cream, ice cream, and acai sorbet as the base for the mix-in. Choose up to three fruits and enjoy a custom blended creation.

Thank you, fro-yo shop innovators. You have my love and deep appreciation.

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

Fro-yo Pictures: Nubi SF, Fraiche Stanford, Yogen Früz’s New Flavor

Fro-yo girl here. Just wanted to share some fro-yo pictures I took recently with the fro-yo community. First up, a picture of Nubi SF. They’re still in the construction phase but the wall for the fro-yo machines is up. They’re going to have 7 machines (14 flavors). It's expected to open in mid-September.


Next, I spotted the cutest sign for Fraiche on the Stanford campus. I almost had a car accident when I saw the sign with the cup of fro-yo on the side of the road. A place of higher yearning – clever.


Finally, here’s a poster of the new acai-blueberry soft serve at Yogen Früz. The new flavor hit their stores last Friday and it’s a nice balance of blueberry and acai flavors, a bit icier than their usual “top it” fro-yo.

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

* NUBI SAN FRANCISCO: Lakeshore Plaza, 1511 Sloat Blvd, Suite A, San Francisco, CA
* FRAICHE STANFORD: Tressider Union, 459 Lagunita Dr, Stanford, CA
* YOGEN FRUZ: 3 Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, CA

Yogurt Parfaits at Fro-yo Places

Fro-yo girl here. While you can get yogurt parfaits just about everywhere (e.g., Trader Joe’s, Starbucks, McDonald’s), the best place to get them is at a good fro-yo shop where the fruit is fresh and the parfaits are made to order. These are my top picks for yogurt parfaits in the Bay Area:

* Culture Organic Frozen Yogurt: It’s no secret that I love Culture for the quality of their fro-yo and their incomparably delicious toppings. Their parfaits are made with organic Straus yogurt (yum). They have organic (yes organic) fruit that I don’t see at other fro-yo shops, including plums, pluots, peaches, Valencia oranges and blood oranges. And their crunchy, super fresh, house granola, made on the premises, is fantastic. My favorite is the gingersnap granola. Fruit and granola offerings change often.

* Fraiche Yogurt: I haven’t tried their non-frozen yogurt but they do make their own with Clover Organic Milk and it’s probably decent. I haven’t had their granola either because their homemade mochi is the best. Other options include steel cut oatmeal and Blue Bottle coffee.

* So Frais Frozen Yogurt Cafe: This new, upscale self-serve fro-yo shop also offers build your own yogurt parfaits at 42 cents an ounce. Their fresh fruit looked particularly fresh.

* Jubili Frozen Yogurt: I had a fro-yo parfait here but they also offer yogurt parfaits made with lowfat vanilla yogurt, your choice of two fresh fruit toppings, and your choice of granola. The crushed Nature Valley granola bars are really good!

Fraiche (7 AM on weekdays) and Jubili (8 AM on weekdays) are the only fro-yo shops that open early enough to have a yogurt parfait for breakfast. At Jubili you can get the fro-yo parfait at 8 AM if you’re so inclined (i.e., you’re like me). Yes, that is a picture of a fro-yo parfait. When I have a choice between a fro-yo parfait and a yogurt parfait, I choose the fro-yo parfait every time.

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

* CULTURE ORGANIC FROZEN YOGURT: 340 S California Ave, Palo Alto, CA
* FRAICHE YOGURT: 644 Emerson, Palo Alto, CA
* SO FRAIS FROZEN YOGURT CAFÉ: 5363 Mowry, Fremont, CA
* JUBILI FROZEN YOGURT: 1515 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA

Best Cities for Fro-Yo in 2008

Fro-yo girl here. Happy New Year, fro-yoholics. For my first post of 2009, I'd like to recognize certain cities for leading the way in fro-yoland. In other words, these cities are the best in the Bay Area for fro-yo. To earn a place on the list, the city must have the following:

(1) Quantity of fro-yo shops
(2) Quality of fro-yo shops
(3) Innovativeness of fro-yo offerings

And the winners are:

1. Palo Alto - scores the highest on innovation thanks to Culture (homemade toppings, organic fro-yo of the highest quality) and Fraiche (great homemade mochi). Quality is also high with Red Mango in the mix, along with Culture and Fraiche. You can even find fro-yo on the Stanford campus at the Axe & Palm. Avoid Michael's Gelato and the future Orange Tree location.

2. San Francisco - Yogurt Bar was the first tart fro-yo shop in town but they have since been overtaken by many better tasting fro-yo shops. SF scores the highest on the quantity factor with fro-yo available all over town (with the highest concentration in the Financial District), including liquor stores (e.g., Michaeli's, New Russian Hill), pizza shops (Blondie's), malls (SoGreen, LoveBerry) and college campuses (Natural Sensations). Chains such as Yogen Fruz and Cefiore are represented along with homegrown high quality favorites, Tuttimelon, Jubili, Swirl Culture, Caffe Ambrosia, and Chill. Self-serve joints are represented as well (Yoppi, Icebee, Happy Yogurt). Chill ups SF's innovation score.

3. Cupertino - another high scoring city when it comes to quantity but not as high as SF in terms of innovativeness. Those who work and live in Cupertino have no shortage of fro-yo shops to choose from, including my one of my favorites, Red Mango, and a good self-serve spot, Tartini. For sweet fro-yo, check out I Love Yogurt for massive portions. Other fro-yo shops include the ever popular Yogurtland, Froyo? (you can eat fro-yo while watching a movie at Vallco), DIY Yogurt

4. Berkeley - started out strong with Ryno's, Yogurt Harmony, Papamingo and Michelle's Yogurt but new fro-yo shops have been slow to open. Of course Berkeley will forever be known as the home of Yogurt Park (known affectionately as YoPa). Though they specialize in soft serve ice cream, Sketch has fabulous tart fro-yo. The new year should see the arrival of Tuttimelon and other shops.

Support your fro-yo shop in 2009.

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

Fro-ggie Coupon Good Till 12/31/08, Soy Fro-yo

Here's a link to a site with a coupon for Fro-ggie. Get one free topping, good till the end of the year:

http://www.ci.fremont.ca.us/Business/ShopFremont/Coupons.htm

Fro-ggie is one of the only places in the Bay Area that offers soy fro-yo. Fraiche in Palo Alto also has soy fro-yo. I'm surprised that soy fro-yo is so rare since lactose intolerance is common and soy milk has gained popularity among the same segment of consumers who are likely to favor fro-yo. There are several brands of soy frozen yogurt in the supermarket frozen foods section. I'd love to see a fro-yo shop open that only offered soy-based fro-yo. Soy Yo? Soyriffic?

* FROGGIE: 1554 Washington Blvd, Fremont, CA 94539
* FRAICHE: 644 Emerson, Suite 110, Palo Alto, CA 94301

Spotlight on Tart Fro-Yo Toppings

Fro-yo girl here. The vast majority of tart fro-yo shops have very similar fruit and dry toppings and they normally carry anywhere from a dozen to 50 different types of toppings. Most of the toppings, other than the fresh fruit, come in boxes and cans. A few shops don't even have fresh fruit and may offer up defrosted frozen or canned fruit instead.

Strawberries are the most popular fresh fruit topping but other common fruit toppings include:

• Kiwi


• Pineapple


• Mango


• Blueberries


• Raspberries


• Blackberries


• Bananas


• Watermelon


• Cantaloupe


• Honeydew


• Pomegranate seeds

Less common fruit toppings include:

• Peaches (canned are more common than fresh)


• Cherries (canned are more common than fresh)


• Plums


• Grapes


• Pluots


• Mandarin oranges


• Lychee


• Longan


• Jackfruit

Mochi balls are my favorite non-fruit topping and they're available at most fro-yo shops. Other common dry toppings include:

• Cereals (Fruity Pebbles, Cap'n Crunch, Cocoa Pebbles usually, but also Froot Loops, Lucky Charms, Golden Grahams, Honey Nut Cheerios, etc.)


• Granola


• Chocolate chips


• Yogurt chips


• Carob chips


• Graham crackers (crushed)


• Almonds


• Marshmallows


• Coconut


• Dried cranberries (and other dried fruits)


• Crushed cookies (chocolate chip, Oreo, Teddy Grahams, etc.)

Occasionally you'll see the following:

• Brownie bits


• Cheesecake bits

If the fro-yo shop also sells traditional sweet fro-yo, chances are they'll have crushed candy toppings (Butterfinger, gummy bears, mini M&Ms, Jelly Bellies, Nerds, Twix, Kit Kat) and sprinkles. I personally don't like to have candy toppings on my tart fro-yo.

You may also find various syrups (chocolate being the most common), honey and condensed milk.

Some Asian fro-yo shops have Asian toppings such as:

• Chestnuts


• Jelly (different types, like rainbow jelly, coconut jelly)


• Red beans

You can customize your treat further with flavored powders like green tea, chocolate, green apple, etc. I've seen the powders at YoSwirl in Fremont, TrendyBean in Santa Clara and Tuttimelon.

Once in a blue moon, you'll come across a place that makes their own toppings. In the Bay Area, there are two places that do this (both in Palo Alto) and deserve special recognition:

* FRAICHE YOGURT: Homemade granola, homemade mochi balls. Unfortunately, their fro-yo is flavorless.
* CULTURE ORGANIC FROZEN YOGURT: The best place for homemade organic toppings, the variety changes all the time and includes mini chocolate meringues, a seasonal granola, mini chocolate chip cookies, brownies, coconut crunch, homemade apple cake, etc. These are all made on the premises by the brilliant Toppings In Chief, Mary. Right now they have spiced apples! Absolutely amazing - no other place comes close.

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

Spotlight on Mochi Balls

Fro-yo girl here. I'll be honest. Mochi balls are the reason I first tried tart frozen yogurt. When I first heard of mochi balls, I couldn't stop thinking about them, wondering what they were like. Most fro-yo shops seem to use Dae Doo Food's bingsu rice cake. Made in Korea, these mochi balls come in a light blue package and can be purchased from the refrigerated section at Kukje in Daly City (and probably most Korean markets). A package costs $2.99. The main ingredients are:

• glutinous rice powder


• sugar


• corn syrup


• salt


• wheat flour

I found another brand of mochi balls, German Bakery, at Kukje. The balls had a stronger rice flavor and were more uneven in shape and size than the Dae Doo brand. However, the mochi balls were harder and not as fresh tasting as Dae Doo's.

I love how the sweet, chewy mochi balls add texture to the fro-yo experience. The downside is that they do become stale. You can spot a stale mochi ball by looking for a dried out, hardened texture.

A few fro-yo shops in the Bay Area make their own mochi balls and these deserve special mention:

* Coco Swirl - made by the owner's mom on a daily basis, comes in white and pink. The pink color comes from strawberries. Add as much as you want since it's a self-serve joint.
* Fraiche Yogurt - the best homemade mochi topping, big, chewy, soft squares. I find their fro-yo bland and not tart.
* Clear Optometry - offers the most variety, six flavors of mochi topping: strawberry, green tea, lemon, orange, original, Ghirardelli chocolate.

Of the three, I recommend trying Clear Optometry.

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

* KUKJE SUPER MARKET: 2350 Junipero Serra Blvd, Daly City, CA 94015
* COCO SWIRL: 35 Crescent Dr Ste E, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
* FRAICHE YOGURT: 644 Emerson Suite 110, Palo Alto, CA 94301
* CLEAR OPTOMETRY: 138 E 3rd Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401