Innovative Froyo (Cultured Gelato) Shop Spotlight: Hellenika Cultured Creamery in Seattle

Fro-yo girl here. I recently visited Seattle to check out Hellenika Cultured Creamery, which opened in Pike Place Market in July 2023. Hellenika Cultured Creamery was founded by three siblings, including one of the co-founders of Ellenos Yogurt.

Hellenika calls the cultured scoopable frozen dessert that they serve “cultured gelato”; it’s made with milk, cream, sugar, and cultures. The cultures that are used result in a product that is less tangy than traditional yogurt. The cultured gelato is made in gelato machines and served straight from the machine. There are twelve flavors offered at a time. Some flavors are made with products from other vendors at Pike Place Market.

The shop has a minimalist/laboratory look. It’s very white. Instead of a case of gelato, the counter has churning gelato. Each flavor is covered by a clear dome. The kitchen is visible from the retail area.

Flavors: London Fog, Matcha, Dutch Chocolate, Plain Greek, Bananas Foster, Yuzu, Ube Coconut, Honey Lavender, Miso Caramel, Mango, Lemon Curd, Marionberry. No vegan options. 

Ube coconut had bits of coconut. Plain Greek was mild with little tang. Lemon curd wasn’t sour but it had a bit more tang. Marionberry had some tang from the berries. The gelato is rich (it’s made with whole milk), so even a small size seems satisfying. I did miss the tang of yogurt. The gelato tasted more like cream than yogurt. The texture was sticky and softer than ice cream. I prefer the firmer texture of ice cream over gelato and the flavor of tangy froyo over both ice cream and gelato.

Prices: Walkaround ($6.50, add $0.75 for a split flavor), Medium ($8.50), Large ($12.50), Mezze ($16.50). They do not have any toppings or sauces.

Both Yogurtland and Menchie’s have offered cultured gelato in the past. Their cultured gelato didn’t taste like yogurt either.

Hellenika is located at Pike Place Market, near Piroshky Piroshky and the first Starbucks.

* HELLENIKA CULTURED CREAMERY: 1920a Pike Pl, Seattle, WA 98101

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.

Review of Ellenos Real Greek Yogurt of Seattle, WA

Fro-yo girl here. Ellenos Real Greek Yogurt opened at Pike Place Market in Seattle in late 2013. Family owned, their probiotic Greek yogurt is handcrafted using traditional methods and local ingredients, including local milk and local honey. 

The yogurt is all natural and does not use thickeners, stabilizers, or gelatins. They’ve been expanding their distribution to markets in the Pacific Northwest area (mostly around Seattle). The yogurt can be topped with lemon curd, marionberry pie, lemon curd, passionfruit, coffee, lemon cheesecake, mango, blueberry matcha, pumpkin pie, rhubarb, etc.

* Ellenos Lemon Curd Greek yogurt: The yogurt is super thick, smooth, fluffy, rich (full fat), and mildly tangy. It’s rich and sweet enough to feel decadent and appropriate for dessert. The lemon curd was very sweet. The yogurt was sweeter and less tangy than my favorite yogurt (Smari). Would I try it again? Yes, with a tangier topping.

Ingredients: Ellenos plain Greek yogurt, Ellenos lemon curd (water, cane sugar, eggs, butter, freshly squeezed lemon juice)

One serving is 4 ounces, with 212 calories, 10 grams of fat, and 15 grams of sugar.

Ellenos offers shipping (order from their website) and can be found at Uwajimaya, PCC Natural Markets, Tully’s Coffee, Metropolitan Market, Zupan’s Markets, Hilltop Red Apple, Feast Market and other markets.

4 out of 5 stars.

* ELLENOS: 1500 Pike Place, Seattle, WA 98101

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 Seattle Report: Shy Giant Frozen Yogurt

Fro-yo girl here. I finally made it to Shy Giant Frozen Yogurt (which was closed for a couple of months during the Pike Place Market renovation), Seattle’s first frozen yogurt shop. When it opened its doors in 1976, it was the first fro-yo shop in the Pacific Northwest and the second on the West Coast (it’s even older than Yogurt Park in Berkeley, CA). Shy Giant feels like a historic fro-yo place. 

Shy Giant is on its third owner now and it still offers custom flavored fro-yo. They chop up fruit and add it to the fro-yo. 

It was interesting to see their old signs (the signs look like they’re from the 1970s). One menu board lists yogurt, tofu and yodolo. They had frozen tofu! I’m not sure what Yodolo was. They no longer offer tofu or Yodolo. Their soft serve machines look as old as the shop. They offer 4 fro-yo flavors a day, Snoqualmie ice cream, smoothies, hot apple cider and hot chocolate. 

Shy Giant does have tart fro-yo flavors. The texture is very thick, stiff, creamy and dense. It reminded me of mix-in style fro-yo even though it did come from a soft serve machine.

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

* SHY GIANT: 1500 Pike Place, Space 15, Seattle, WA