Yogurt in Japan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Gopi Rosewater Lassi Review

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve seen Gopi yogurt and lassi drinks quite a few times but the Gopi rosewater lassi caught my eye because I hadn’t seen it before. I found it at the new Namaste Spiceland in Pasadena. They had three lassi flavors: Rosewater, mango and plain. The drinks are 1 pint each and they sell for $1.49. The drinks, which are distributed by Karoun Dairies, are made with California milk that hasn’t been treated with rbST.

* Rosewater lassi: This was so good – not too thick and not too thin and watery. I could taste the plain yogurt flavor and the subtle floral almost fruity rosewater flavor. It was tangy, sweet and not too heavy.

Ingredients: Pasteurized milk & cream, water, sugar, whey protein concentrate, sodium citrate, disodium phosphate, carrageenan, guar gum, salt, whey powder, corn starch, standardized with dextrose, tapioca starch, milk solids, natural flavors, fruit & vegetable juice (color), and potassium sorbate to maintain freshness. Contains live active cultures.

One bottle contains 2 servings. Each serving has 229 calories, 10g total fat, 31g total carbohydrate, 30g total sugars, and 6g protein. Yes, one serving does have a lot of sugar. 

I've tried different kinds of yogurt drinks and I think lassis are the best kind of yogurt drink.

4 out of 5 stars.

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

* NAMASTE SPICELAND: 270 N Hill Ave., Pasadena, CA 91106

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.

Abali Yogurt Drink Review

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve seen bottled yogurt drinks for years at Middle Eastern restaurants and grocery stores. I bought one a long time ago and didn’t like it. I think it was carbonated yogurt soda. Then I saw the yogurt drink on the menu at Sunnin Lebanese Café (1776 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA) and I was convinced to try it since they said they made it there. I enjoyed their yogurt drink, which tasted like plain yogurt thinned with water and sprinkled with mint leaves. It was savory rather than sweet and it complemented their food.

Based on that positive experience, I decided to take a closer look at bottled yogurt drinks. There are carbonated (yogurt soda) and non-carbonated (yogurt drink) versions. They usually come in two flavors, plain and mint. 

I’ve mostly seen yogurt drinks from Abali and Karoun in this area. Karoun’s yogurt drink has more sodium than Abali’s (762mg vs 600mg per cup). One bottle is 16 fl oz. I found the drink for $1.19 at Armen Market in Altadena, CA.

The Abali yogurt drink has a best by date and directions to shake well before use. One 8 ounce serving is 110 calories and 2.5g total fat. It tasted like sour plain yogurt with salt. The mint flavor is nice. It’s the right consistency too – not too thick but similar to milk. Drinking it made me thirsty, probably because of the salt. It definitely tasted more natural and more like real yogurt than Japanese and Korean yogurt drinks like Yakult.

Ingredients (Mint): Low fat milk, water, salt, mint extract, active yogurt cultures). 

I still think it’s too salty but diluting it further with ice cubes would help. It seems easy enough to make at home. Traditionally one combines equal parts yogurt and water and then adds salt and dried mint to taste.

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. 

Ildong She’s Pro (Calpis) Review

Fro-yo girl here. I spotted Ildong She’s Pro drinks at California Market in Koreatown. It’s a yogurt flavored drink imported from Korea and made by ILDONG Pharmaceutical Co. The bottle says Probiotics in a large font. A bottle is 450ml, 210 calories, 0g fat and 43g sugars. The regular price was $2.49.

Calpis is a Japanese milk based beverage. It’s made with milk that is skimmed. Yeast and lactic acid are added and the mixture is allowed to ferment. Sugar is added and the mixture ferments further until it becomes Calpis.

The drink is sweet, lightly tangy, light and refreshing. The grapefruit helps by adding a subtle fruity flavor. The liquid is clear and milky. It was better than I expected though I wouldn’t drink it regularly because of the amount of sugar. The Japanese Calpis has a milder flavor that I find more pleasant.

Ingredients: Lactobacillus rhamnosus culture fluid, concentrated grapefruit, fructooligosaccharide, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, powdered skim milk, soybean polysaccharide, citric acid anhydrous, sodium citrate, indigestible maltodextrin, yogurt flavor, grapefruit flavor, water

3 out of 5 stars.

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

* CALIFORNIA MARKET: 450 S Western Ave., Los Angeles (Koreatown), CA 90020

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 Powder Review: Yogurty by Damtuh Food Co.

Fro-yo girl here. My sharp eye for froyo found a new yogurt/froyo product during a recent shopping trip to 99 Ranch Market. Damtuh Food Co. produces a product called Yogurty that’s imported from Korea. “Yogurty is Damtuh's premium yogurt drink made of milk powders from Italy and France, which gives this drink a smooth, homemade flavor. Just add cold milk for a smooth yogurt drink, or blend all together with ice for instant frozen yogurt and smoothies!”

The box comes with a sports bottle and 20 sticks (packets) of Yogurty powder. The sports bottle comes in handy because it has ml markings for 100, 200 and 300 mls and you can shake your Yogurty with milk in the bottle, and drink from it.

I spotted two flavors, plain and mango. A box was $7.99 at 99 Ranch. They have two other flavors: acai berry and green apple.

To make the yogurt drink, add one stick packet to a cup of cold milk and stir well. The directions are only in Korean on the box but I found an English translation.

• To make a yogurt drink: Add 1 stick to 100 ml of milk, mix well
• To make a yogurt smoothie: Blend 60 ml of milk with 1 stick and 100g of ice cubes in a mixer, try blending with your favorite fruits
• To make frozen yogurt popsicles: Add 1 stick to 100 ml of milk, mix well, pour into a popsicle mold
• To make salad dressing: Use 50 ml of milk and 50 ml of water with 1 stick, mix well

One stick is 18g with 70 calories, no fat and 16g of carbs. It 3 kinds of live probiotics.
Ingredients: Sugar, glucose powder, skim milk powder, pineapple concentrate powder, yogurt powder, yogurt mixed powder, yogo C, Xylitol, L-ascorbic acid, citric acid, DL-malic acid, salt, yogurt cultures.

* Plain Yogurty with milk: It’s thick and quite foamy. The smell is enticing like yogurt. Flavor wise it’s quite tangy thanks to the citric acid plus pineapple with a sweet aftertaste. It tastes powdery though. I’m not a fan of yogurt drinks but this one was flavorful and better than the Yakult style drinks. I liked it better with twice the amount of recommended milk. I also froze the mixture and it remained frothy.

You can buy this product on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Acai-Berry-Yogurty-Sticks-Sports/dp/B00NJ7Z8XU

3.5 out of 5 stars

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

* 99 RANCH MARKET: 140 W Valley Blvd., San Gabriel, CA 91776

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.

Lucky Layla Farms Yogurt Drink Review

Fro-yo girl here. Yogurt drinks that taste like Yakult are far too sweet for me and I gave up trying all the different brands that I spot in Asian supermarkets. Yogurt smoothies tend to be too sweet as well. Middle Eastern yogurt drinks are actually salted and take some getting used to. I spotted Lucky Layla Farms probiotic yogurt drinks at Whole Foods and decided to give the plain one a try.

I was stunned by the natural sweetness and luxurious thick smoothness of Lucky Layla’s plain yogurt drink. They don’t add sugar to the natural plain yogurt drink. Their drinkable yogurt drink is naturally sweeter than the other plain yogurt drinks that I’ve tried (for example, Siggi’s has a similar plain yogurt drink with no added sugar).

Is it the cows that make the difference? They use milk from award-winning Guernsey and Jersey cows that are free to roam on Texas grassland and cool down in lakes. They don’t use water, powdered milk or thickeners.

Lucky Layla’s drinkable yogurt comes in 10 fruit flavors (made with real fruit of course) such as mango, blueberry, blackberry, pina colada and strawberry. Look for it at Whole Foods, Sprouts and Central Markets. I haven’t seen it in any San Francisco Whole Foods locations but they had it in Seattle ($1.99 regular price, 2 for $3 on sale for an 8 oz. bottle).

Rating: 5/5

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

DAHlicious Lassi Review

Fro-yo girl here. DAHlicious Lassi drinks caught my eye during a recent trip to Canyon Market. These all natural, made in Vermont lowfat yogurt shakes are made with very few ingredients. The shakes contain probiotic Indian style yogurt, real fruit, cane juice, water and vegetable fiber. Canyon had two flavors, Alphonso Mango or Wild Maine Blueberry. They have two other flavors: Ecuador Banana and Oregon Strawberry.

* Wild Maine blueberry lassi ($2.79): the fresh flavor of the blueberry comes through, as does the flavor of the yogurt. The drink is quite tart and natural tasting. I like how it wasn't that sugary and wasn't as thick as smoothies can be. The yogurt added some creaminess. It didn't taste particularly Indian to me but they claim that their Indian style yogurt is their secret. It's nice to know that I'm getting 15 billion probiotic cultures per bottle.

5 out of 5 stars.

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

* CANYON MARKET: 2815 Diamond St. San Francisco, CA

A New Crop of Yogurt Drinks

Fro-yo girl here. I gave up on Yakult style yogurt drinks months ago (they were too sweet) but I kept seeing new yogurt drinks and I couldn't resist trying a few. I thought these drinks might be different from the Yakult knockoffs.

* YOGUR DE SAVILLA: This line of Korean non-carbonated drinks comes in a variety of flavors including pineapple, peach, plain and mango and is available in two sizes. I tried the mango flavor which contains water, milk, mango puree, and sugar. I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor; it wasn't as sweet as Yakult and it had a milky (but not tangy), lightly sweet flavor with tiny chunks of aloe vera. It doesn't seem to have yogurt, though I thought it did based on the product name. I liked how it was light and refreshing and I liked the aloe vera chunks. 4 out of 5 stars.



* O LATTE: Another non-carbonated Korean drink, the can says it's milky and fruity. I tried the original flavor ($1.09 at Kukje for 8.11 fl. oz). It was very sweet, refreshing and milky, a little tangy but not as strong or tangy as Yakult. I found it drinkable but too sweet. Ingredients include: water, fructose, pear juice, citric acid, maltrodextrin, calcium, skim milk powder, and artificial flavor (yogurt, citrus). 3.5 out of 5 stars.


* JAMBA JUICE fruit & yogurt blends: these new probiotic drinks come in three flavors (vibrant blueberry, strawberries alive, thrivin' mango) and contain yogurt, soy milk, fruit and Jamba's probiotic boost. I tried vibrant blueberry. It's decent - reminds me of a thinner smoothie. The flavor was sour rather than tangy. I liked that it was freshly made but it didn't have enough yogurt flavor for me. The drinks are $3.50 for 12 ozs. and $4.30 for 16 ozs. 3.5 out of 4 stars.

Ironically, the drink I liked the best didn't have yogurt!

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