Thor’s Skyr Opens in Silver Lake, Offering All-Natural Skyr Bowls

 

Fro-yo girl here. Thor’s Skyr recently opened in the old Milk space near Silver Lake Reservoir in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. Ironically, what was once the spot for sugary treats is now the spot for low sugar, high protein treats. Thor’s Skyr makes its own skyr in Pennsylvania and emphasizes the probiotics, high protein, and low sugar content of the product, compared to Greek yogurt. It is all natural, lowfat, kosher, lactose-free, gluten-free, and GMO-free.

Thor’s Skyr was available in supermarkets and only recently opened cafes in Phoenix and Los Angeles. The restaurants serve skyr and acai bowls, shakes, and sandwiches, all inspired by the flavors of Iceland. The bowls feature a base (skyr or acai), a middle (blended), and toppings. The middle contains fruit, peanut butter, acai, dates, almond milk, etc. The toppings include granola (not made in-house), fruit, coconut, honey, chia seeds, etc. It’s similar to an acai shop but with fewer toppings. The skyr is plain with no added sugar.

Odin’s Treasure Bowl, without banana: skyr base, middle (skyr, raspberries, strawberries, peanut butter), toppings (granola, strawberries). The bowl takes awhile because they blend the middle to order. I liked it because nothing was too sweet. It was healthy and filling. The skyr tastes like plain yogurt but thicker. It’s sour. The middle reminded me of mix-in style froyo since they blended skyr with berries and ice (or frozen berries) with a bit of peanut butter. The peanut butter flavor wasn’t strong. It wasn’t as sweet as your typical froyo, by far. 

Prices are reasonable. You can enjoy their complimentary drip coffee and a high protein waffle with any purchase. They’re going to offer grab & go items soon.

One 170g serving of Thor’s Skyr’s plain is 140 kcals, 3.5g total fat, 5g total carbs, and 21g protein compared to Siggi’s plain which has 170 kcals, 7g total fat, 8g total carbs, and 18g protein. Thor’s Skyr uses reduced fat ultra-filtered milk, whereas Siggi’s uses pasteurized whole milk Both are made with two ingredients, milk and cultures. Thor’s Skyr didn’t seem thicker than Siggi’s.

Thor’s Skyr was founded by three actors, Terry Crews, Hafthor Julius Bjornsson, Dylan Sprouse and an Icelandic entrepreneur, Unnar Beck Danielsson. They wanted to make the best skyr in the US, using the same process used in Iceland.

I noticed that Thor’s Skyr’s website has several recipes for frozen skyr.

Icelandic style skyr has been available in the US for a long time. Siggi’s, the market leader, was founded in 2005. Trader Joe’s has been offering Icelandic style skyr for several years. I’ve tried most of the brands over the years, including Norr, Icelandic Provisions, Painterland Sisters, and others that have been discontinued.

* Thor’s Skyr, 1639 1/2 Silver Lake Blvd, Los Angeles (Silver Lake), CA 90026

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.

Painterland Sisters Organic Yogurt Icelandic Style Skyr Review

Fro-yo girl here. I spotted Painterland Sisters Organic Yogurt Icelandic Style Skyr on a recent shopping trip to Sprouts in La Canada Flintridge. The signs indicated that it was a new product. The yogurt was priced at 2 for $5.

Painterland Sisters organic, whole milk skyr style yogurt has billions of live and active cultures (probiotics), high in protein, low in sugar, gluten-free and lactose-free. They sweeten their skyr with organic ingredients: berries, lemons, and cane sugar. The ultra-filtration process removes lactose and excess liquid.

Vanilla bean: Very thick, creamy, and smooth – thicker than Greek yogurt. I liked how there was a sour note and definitely tang. It wasn’t as sweet as other yogurts. There was a richness from the use of whole milk. I could see vanilla bean specks.

Meadow berry: This yogurt is flavored with raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. It’s blended. The raspberry flavor was prominent and there was a cream aftertaste.

One serving (5.3 oz) is 160 calories, 8g total fat, 10g total carbs, 9g total sugars, and 16g protein.

Ingredients: cultured pasteurized organic whole milk, organic cane sugar, organic corn starch, organic vanilla extract, organic lemon juice, organic guar gum, organic vanilla bean specks, sodium citrate, lactase enzyme, live and active cultures

Available flavors: plain, vanilla bean, blueberry lemon, strawberry, meadow berry

Painterland Sisters yogurt is a product of a women-owned, fourth-generation family farm, Painterland Farms in Westfield, PA. They source their milk from Pennsylvanian organic farms where animals are free to roam on open pastures and fed balanced diets of grains and grasses. Their products are non-GMO and free of chemicals.

The yogurt was rich and tasty but it does contain corn starch and guar gum (thickeners); Siggi’s does not.

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

4.5 out of 5 stars.

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.

Aldi’s Friendly Farms Skyr Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. I was at Aldi the other day when I spotted their new limited time offering, Friendly Farms Icelandic Style Skyr Yogurt. One cup is 5.3 oz and 99 cents. There were three flavors: Vanilla, Strawberry, and Blueberry. The fruit flavors are blended.

Vanilla: The amount of sugar, 8g, is comparable to Siggi’s but Friendly Farms vanilla skyr tastes sweeter to me though the aftertaste is sour, tangy and a little chalky. I could see some vanilla bean specks. The texture was thick and smooth. The aftertaste lingers. I prefer Siggi’s.

Strawberry: The strawberry flavor is mild and the texture was lighter and smoother than the vanilla skyr. I could see some strawberry seeds. The skyr brings out the sourness of the strawberries. I liked it better than the vanilla skyr because it was tangier.

Blueberry: The blueberry skyr had a stronger fruit flavor than the strawberry and even some tiny blueberries. It was still tangy but not as sour. The blueberry skyr was my favorite.

Friendly Farms skyr is made with milk from cows that haven’t been treated with rBST. The skyr is nonfat. One serving of Blueberry skyr has 120 calories, 0g fat, 15g carbohydrates, 15g proteins, and 10g sugars.

Ingredients (Blueberry): Cultured pasteurized nonfat grade A milk, sugar, blueberries, blueberry puree, corn starch, natural flavors, pectin, 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.

Culinary Tours Icelandic Style Skyr Review

Fro-yo girl here. Stater Bros. Market recently opened its first location in Pasadena. Of course, I had to see if I could find new frozen yogurt or yogurt products to try. And I found a new line of Icelandic style yogurt, aka skyr, that I hadn’t seen before, Culinary Tours. Culinary Tours products are carried by a variety of retailers, but the only one around here (Southern California) on the list is Stater Bros.

Stater Bros. was selling Culinary Tours Icelandic Style Skyr for 79 cents on sale. The regular price is 99 cents. That’s definitely cheap for skyr, which tends to be more expensive. One cup is 5 oz and contains at least 14g of protein. It’s made with whole milk and all-natural ingredients.

Available flavors: Coconut, Blueberry, Strawberry, Key Lime, Vanilla, Plain

• Vanilla: I didn’t have high expectations because of the low price, but I was pleasantly surprised by this yogurt. I noticed some small clumps but when I stirred the yogurt, it was smooth, thick, and extra glossy. I saw plenty of vanilla bean specks. It wasn’t too sweet but had a sour flavor and sour aftertaste that I actually enjoy. Of the three flavors I tried, this one had the least sugar and it was the thickest. It was also the one I liked the best. One serving had 150 calories, 5g total fat, 12g total carbohydrates, 10g sugars, and 15g protein. 
• Blueberry: This was the second best flavor. The blueberry yogurt was very thick and tangy, with an underlying sourness. It was a little chalky but the blueberry flavor was quite noticeable. I could see tiny bits of blueberry skin from the blueberry puree. 
• Key Lime: Of the three flavors that I tried, this had the most sugar and the least yogurt intensity. It was sweeter but still tangy. The fruit flavor was not as strong. 

Ingredients (vanilla): Grade A whole milk, grade A skim milk, sugar, vanilla extract, vanilla bean, live and active cultures.

The list of ingredients is short and simple.

For some reason, there’s very little information about this product online. It’s not even listed on the Culinary Tours website.

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.

Siggi’s Triple Cream Skyr Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. In my area, many grocery stores that carry Siggi’s do not carry their newer Triple Cream Skyr Yogurt product, and it’s unfortunate because Triple Cream is fabulous. I found it at Whole Foods for $1.59 (regular price). Each cup is 4 oz.

Siggi’s Triple Cream Skyr Yogurt is inspired by a concoction created by Siggi’s mom, which featured half skyr mixed with half whipped cream. Siggi’s version is made with whole milk and pasteurized cream. Like their other products, it’s low sugar, high quality, and made with a few simple, all-natural ingredients.

* Vanilla: It’s richer, creamier, and smoother than their regular skyr. The vanilla had visible vanilla specks throughout and a strong vanilla flavor. It was tangy with a sour, clean finish. While the size was smaller than average, the richness made it filling. You can definitely taste the cream.

* Raspberry: Raspberries are blended throughout and they add tang and flavor. Love it. 

* Lemon: The lemon flavor is there and it adds extra tang, but it needed more lemon flavor. The cream flavor was stronger.

One serving of vanilla contains 170 calories, 10g total fat, 10g total carbohydrates, 8g sugars, and 9g protein.

Available flavors: Vanilla, Raspberry, Plain, Chocolate, Lemon

Ingredients (Vanilla): Pasteurized whole milk, pasteurized cream, organic agave nectar, Madagascar Bourbon vanilla, fruit pectin, live active cultures. 

Triple Cream would be perfect for breakfast or a snack.

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.

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.

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.

Lifeway Organic Skyr Review

Fro-yo girl here. I spotted some new items in the yogurt section of Sprouts during a recent shopping trip. Lifeway Skyr was new and on sale. The regular price is $2.29 and it was on sale for $1.99.

The product is labeled as having less sugar, more protein, GMO free, 14 strains of probiotic live and active cultures and up to 99% lactose free. It’s organic and made in small batches with grassfed milk. The organic blueberry prep is kept in a separate container that can easily be folded over to add to the skyr section. It also comes with its own little spoon and a convenient cap, in case you don’t finish the cup in one sitting. One serving is 150g, 9g total fat, 7g sugars, and 18g protein.

* Blueberry skyr: The skyr was thick, creamy, and super sour, sourer than plain yogurt. It did have a slight grittiness. The blueberry prep was more like a jelly than a jam, though it had bits of blueberries in it, and even tiny whole blueberries. It seemed very sweet by itself but since the skyr is extra sour, the sweetness is a good thing. Once combined, the skyr still has that sourness but it’s not as intense. I turned it upside down and the skyr stayed in the cup, that’s how thick it is. This skyr is probably too sour for the mainstream yogurt eater but I liked the sourness.

Available flavors: Natural, Honey, Blueberry, Wildberries, Ancient Grains

Skyr ingredients: Pasteurized organic whole milk, vitamin D3, live and active cultures

Organic blueberry prep ingredients: Water, organic blueberries, organic sugar, organic blueberry flavor, pectic, organic locust bean gum, organic fruit and vegetable juice concentrate for color

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.

Trader Joe’s Adds Icelandic Yogurt and Yogurt Cheesecake

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve mentioned Icelandic stye yogurt (known as skyr) on this blog quite a few times, because I’ve been a fan since the first time I tried Siggi’s in 2010. Since then, I’ve tried every brand of skyr that I’ve run across. Skyr is strained until it’s rich and thick.

Trader Joe’s has two flavors of skyr, Plain and Strawberry. Both are nonfat. The 8-ounce cups are $1.39 each. Trader Joe’s describes the product as follows, “Just like traditional skyr—which has been a staple of the Icelandic diet since it was brought over from Norway a millennium ago—our Icelandic Style Nonfat Yogurt is strained so that it’s exceptionally thick and creamy. It’s reminiscent of nonfat Greek yogurt, but even smoother and with slightly less bite.”

* Strawberry Icelandic yogurt: This is a blended style yogurt. One container is 190 calories with 0g fat, 26g carbs, 24g total sugars and 20g protein. TJ’s version has more sugar than Smari or Siggi’s, but it’s still got a sourness to it that I like. It’s tangy, sour and pretty sweet at the same time, with intense yogurt flavor. The texture is smooth and thick. Since it has more sugar and isn’t quite as thick as Siggi’s, it doesn’t seem different from Greek yogurt to me. I wish it had less sugar.

Ingredients: Nonfat milk, cane sugar, strawberry puree, strawberries, water, natural strawberry flavor, fruit pectin, locust bean gum, carrot extract (color), streptoccus thermophilus (culture), lemon juice concentrate.

I also noticed that Trader Joe’s now has Chocolate Swirl Icelandic Style Yogurt Cheesecake. It’s huge (650g), so I probably won’t get it but it does sound good, if it’s tangy and not too sweet. You can find this new cheesecake in the frozen foods section with the other frozen pies, cakes, puddings, etc.

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.

Viking Icelandic Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. I was shopping at Sprouts the other day when I came across a new Icelandic yogurt called Viking Grass-Fed Icelandic Yogurt. The word “skyr” is not on the packaging but it emphasizes high protein content instead. Sprouts was selling Viking for $1.79 (regular price) and $1.59 on sale. They had four flavors: Pure, Vanilla, Cucumber Mint and Strawberry. Other flavors that I didn’t see include Coconut Crème, Blueberry. Sprouts started carrying Viking in April 2017, giving the line national distribution.

Viking is distributed by Saga Dairy of Boston, MA. The yogurt is non-GMO, nonfat and has live and active cultures. The portion sizes are bigger than average, at 6 oz per serving (vs. 5.3 oz) while the price is lower.

Like the other Icelandic yogurts, Viking uses grassfed milk, is non-GMO and lower in sugar. But I am not sure how their yogurt is Icelandic rather than Greek. The flavors aren’t Nordic and there isn’t much information about how the yogurt is produced. The founders aren’t from Iceland. I did read that they take out more whey than with Greek yogurt, so that’s why their yogurt is more Icelandic. It’s clear from the packaging and messaging that the goal is to make Icelandic yogurt more palatable for the mainstream consumer and less Nordic sounding.

* Cucumber mint: This was the most interesting sounding flavor. The texture was thick and while smooth, it was a tad grainy. Flavor wise, it seemed quite a bit sweeter than other brands of skyr, which is a definite negative. I like skyr because it usually isn’t as sweet. Viking isn’t as sweet as traditional American yogurt though. It still has quite a bit of tang. There were tiny bits of cucumber in the yogurt. The mint flavor was not strong. While it sounds like a savory flavor, it isn’t. The yogurt coated my tongue and didn’t have a clean finish.

One serving is 6 oz, 140 calories, 0g of fat, 17g of protein and 13g of sugars.

Ingredients: Pasteurized skim milk with live active cultures, cane sugar, cucumber, fruit pectin, mint and lime juice concentrate.

Because skyr is so thick, 5.3 oz is just enough for me. I also like the more authentic messaging, sour flavor, and I don’t mind paying a bit more for quality and flavor. I probably am not the mainstream yogurt consumer though.

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.

Norr Skyr Review

Fro-yo girl here. Icelandic Provisions, Smari, Siggi’s and now Norr Skyr specialize in Icelandic/Nordic style yogurt, known as skyr. I stumbled upon Norr Skyr at Bi-Rite in San Francisco. It’s a San Francisco based company founded by two Scandinavians who value foods “that are authentic, clean and simple.” Norr Skyr is made with organic, grassfed milk from small American farms with curative Nordic botanicals.

All the skyr brands offer all-natural products and they all claim to have less sugar. Icelandic Provisions skyr is not certified organic but their milk is sourced from family run farms in New York which do not use growth hormones. They are the only brand to use heirloom skyr cultures from Iceland. Norr and Smari are certified organic. Norr and Icelandic Provisions focus on providing Nordic flavors, using Nordic fruits and flavors.

Siggi’s, the original brand of skyr in the US, is not certified organic but it uses milk from grassfed cows and is free of growth hormones and is all natural and non-GMO. It has more flavors, including some Nordic and some American flavors. Smari is made with organic milk from grassfed cows in Wisconsin. Their flavors are more American (key lime, strawberry, coffee) than Nordic.

Bi-Rite had four varieties of Norr for $2.49 each: plain non-fat, plain whole milk, gooseberries and elderflower. They recently introduced a new flavor, Sea Buckthorn, but I didn’t see it at Bi-Rite.

* Organic elderflower skyr: The yogurt smelled potent. I was surprised that it wasn’t as thick as the others but more like a thick soup. The texture was creamy but it did have a few small lumps. The lid said to stir before eating. The flavor was extra tart/sour and also tangy. I liked the elderflower; it was fragrant but not too floral. The yogurt definitely has less sugar and I liked the flavor but I wish it were thicker.

One serving is 5.3 oz, 100 calories, 0g of fat, 10g sugars, and 15g of protein.

Ingredients: Organic pasteurized skim milk, organic elderflower extract (water, organic elderflowers, organic lemon juice, Vitamin C), organic cane sugar, live active probiotic cultures

* Organic gooseberries skyr: The fruit was on the bottom of this one. The yogurt was thicker than the elderflower version but not as thick as Smari or Siggi’s (less straining, perhaps?). The gooseberries didn’t have a strong flavor though I could taste them. They tasted vaguely like grapes. I didn’t like the texture of the product; it was very grainy and clumpy. I think they kept the gooseberry skins. Also, the flavor wasn’t pleasant like the elderflower. I wouldn’t get it again.

One serving is 5.3 oz, 100 calories, 0g of fat, 15g of protein, and 8g of sugars.

Ingredients: Organic pasteurized skim milk, organic gooseberries, organic cane sugar, water, apple pectin, organic vanilla extract, live active probiotic cultures

Use the store locator feature on Norr’s website if you’d like to find the nearest retailer that carries their products.

3 out of 5 stars.

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

* BI-RITE: 3639 18th St., San Francisco, CA 94110

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.

Icelandic Provisions Skyr Review

Fro-yo girl here. The newest skyr in town comes from Icelandic Provisions, a company that was co-founded by MS Iceland Dairies, the oldest and largest dairy co-op in Iceland. Icelandic Provisions calls itself the only traditional Icelandic skyr available in the US, because it is the only skyr to be made with centuries old heirloom skyr cultures. Their skyr was co-developed with MS Iceland Dairies.

Similar to Smari and Siggi’s, Icelandic Provision’s skyr is high in protein, low in sugar and all natural (no rBGH). Icelandic Provisions flavors are more Nordic, incorporating Nordic fruits like lingonberry, cloudberry and bilberry.

Varieties: Plain, Coconut, Raspberry, Vanilla, Strawberry & Lingonberry, Blueberry & Bilberry, Peach & Cloudberry

I tried two flavors: Blueberry & Bilberry and Peach & Cloudberry. The skyr doesn’t smell as nice as yogurt. It smells and tastes more fermented. The texture is certainly very thick (enough to keep your spoon standing up) and the fruit is blended in, though you can see tiny bits of skin. The flavor was sweet (but less sweet than usual) and more sour than tangy. While I could taste the fruit (the blueberry and peach more so than the bilberry and cloudberry), the overall flavor is mild. The skyr coats the tongue and doesn’t leave a clean aftertaste. It was filling, bland and fermented tasting. I prefer Siggi’s and Smari.

One serving is 5.3 ozs, 2g fat, 12g sugars, and 14g protein.

Ingredients (peach and cloudberry): Skyr (pasteurized low-fat milk, live and active cultures), peaches (puree and fruit), cane sugar, cloudberry puree, pectin, locust bean gum, natural flavors, fruit and vegetable juice concentrate for color, lemon juice concentrate.

I found Iceland Provisions on sale at Sprouts for $1.59 (regular price, $1.99). It’s also sold at Whole Foods, Wegmans, Harris Teeter and other retailers.

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.

Three Happy Cows Greek Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. Dallas based Three Happy Cows is back after a fire destroyed its yogurt plant. Their Greek yogurt is “ridiculously thick,” all natural and lightly sweetened. It’s low fat, made with 2% milk and has live and active cultures. Each serving has 15g of protein. One serving is 5.3 ozs and 160 calories.

Flavors: Strawberry, blueberry, vanilla bean, caramel

* Vanilla: Visually, the yogurt looked very appealing - very thick (as thick as skyr), ultra creamy with no water on top and vanilla bean specks throughout. I also liked how it was less sweet than most yogurts. There was a slight aftertaste from the thickeners they use that detracted from the overall flavor. The texture was also slightly gummy. I think I’d like it better without the thickeners and citric acid.

* Strawberry: This had the same ultra thick and creamy texture with a distinct but not very strong strawberry flavor and no chunks of fruit or seeds.

Ingredients (vanilla yogurt):Grade A pasteurized reduced fat milk, vanilla bean base (water, sugar, locust bean gum, pectin, natural flavor, citric acid, calcium citrate, vanilla beans) and live and active cultures.

I found Three Happy Cows at Sprouts (2 for $3 on sale, $1.79 regular price).

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

4 out of 5 stars

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.

Froyo Wish List for 2014

Fro-yo girl here. It’s the new year and time to share my wish list for 2014. These are the things I hope to experience in 2014.

• Froyo pie or cake. I want one! It seems like you can’t get just one slice unfortunately. 
• Expanded distribution for Yolato frozen yogurt gelato bars. My fingers are crossed that I’ll see them in California
• Froyo made out of Icelandic yogurt (aka skyr). I love skyr (Siggi’s and Smari)...would love to see it used to make froyo.
• Froyo spoons. I can never get enough of cute froyo spoons. 

Last year my wish list was:

• Collect more new froyo spoons (accomplished)
• Try Yolato frozen yogurt gelato bars and Pinkberry Greek (accomplished)
• Be served by Frobot rather than a human being (didn't happen)

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.

Smari Icelandic Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. I keep finding new yogurt brands at Whole Foods. I am a fan of skyr so I was excited to spot Smari, “the Brave Yogurt of Iceland.” Smari is organic, thicker, higher in protein, non-fat and has live cultures. It’s made in the US with milk from grassfed cows and has 4 cups of milk per serving. A serving is 6 ozs. At Whole Foods, a cup is $2.39.

* Vanilla yogurt: Super thick, smooth and creamy, the spoon easily stands up in the yogurt. The flavor is so good, the way yogurt should taste. It’s very tangy with a bit of sourness, sweetened but not too sweet, and it has many vanilla bean specks. I love that it’s made with just three ingredients: milk, sugar and vanilla extract.

Icelandic yogurt or skyr is a yogurt from which most of the water has been strained out.

When I visited the Smari website, they had a buy one, get one free coupon that you can sign up to receive. They also have a store locator feature.

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.

Yogurt Review: Skyr & Eros

Fro-yo girl here. During my Whole Foods shopping trips, I found two yogurt lines that are exclusive to Whole Foods, Skyr.is and Eros. Technically you can get Skyr.is elsewhere (Iceland) but in the U.S. only Whole Foods carries it.

Skyr.is is imported from Iceland and at $3.39 each (6 oz. cup), the most expensive yogurt I've seen (though I think the price has dropped to $2.99). Whole Foods SF had three flavors: blueberry, plain, strawberry. There's a vanilla one too, but I didn't see it there. I tried blueberry. The list of ingredients is short: milk, sugar, blueberry juice, elderberry juice, citric acid, live & active cultures.

* Skyr.is blueberry yogurt: very creamy, smooth, dense and thick, more tangy than sour, liked the bright fresh fruit flavor but it was definitely sweeter than Siggi's...I still prefer Siggi's. 4.5 out of 5 stars.


Eros Organic Greek Yogurt is made for Whole Foods and it claims to be the first and only yogurt made with Certified Humane Raised and Handled organic low fat cow's milk from small family farms. It uses an all natural evaporation method to thicken the yogurt, not powdered milk solids or gelatin. It comes in Plain, Vanilla, Honey, Strawberry and Blueberry and is $1.99 for a 6 oz. cup. I chose honey which is made with 2% milk, wildflower honey, pectin, live & active cultures.

* Eros honey yogurt: definitely tangy, very thick, creamy, and heavy. The texture was oddly sticky (in an unpleasant way) and the honey had a bitter aftertaste. 3 out of 5 stars.

Skyr is even thicker than Greek style yogurt. It's technically a soft cheese.

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

Siggi's Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. I've found my favorite yogurt: Siggi's Icelandic style skyr strained non-fat yogurt. I didn't know about skyr (the traditional yogurt of Iceland) till I found Siggi's. Skyr is thicker and creamier than the usual yogurt. Siggi's is available in the following flavors: blueberry, orange ginger, plain, vanilla, pomegranate & passion fruit, grapefruit, and acai.

* Grapefruit: It's so thick that the spoon stands up easily in the yogurt! The yogurt is so rich and tart, with the sourness of grapefruit. I bet it would taste incredible in fro-yo form.

* Orange ginger: It's amazing with tiny chunks of candied ginger. Ginger and orange go so well together. Love the tartness. The ingredients list: skim milk, agave nectar, candied ginger, orange extract, live active cultures, vegetable rennet



The yogurt is made with a few choice ingredients, with no artificial coloring, no preservatives, and no gelatin. It's expensive at $2.49 each (makes fro-yo seem reasonably priced) but delicious. I found Siggi's at Whole Foods. See skyr.com for a store locator.

5 out of 5 stars

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