Muusho Narine Armenian Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. I’m always on the lookout for yogurt. Recently, I spotted a new yogurt, Muusho Narine Armenian Yogurt, at The Market in Pasadena. What is Armenian yogurt, you ask. It contains a strain of bacteria, Lactobacillus acidophilus Er-2 strain 317/402 Narine, that was isolated and discovered in 1954 at the Laboratory of the Institute of Microbiology in Armenia. The strain was only available in Armenia and the Soviet Union for many years.

Muusho Narine Armenian Yogurt contains the Narine strain. The yogurt is made with a traditional Armenian recipe, using dairy from local farms. It contains no additives and no added sugar. It is high in protein and probiotics. Armenian yogurt is made with milk and a starter (plain yogurt with live cultures). The milk is heated and cooled. The starter is then added, and the mixture is incubated in a warm place to allow fermentation to take place. It is not strained.

Muusho Armenian dairy products can be found in Los Angeles in Armenian stores. Muusho launched in Los Angeles in 2024. The Narine yogurt product was introduced in July 2025.

Muusho Narine yogurt: the texture was creamy, clumpy and soft, like your traditional unstrained yogurt. It’s made with milk and live active cultures. The yogurt is slightly sour and natural-tasting. I liked the simplicity of it. One tablespoon (15g) is 10 calories, with 0.5g total fat, 0g cholesterol, under 1g of sugar, and 0g protein. The jar is 130 calories.

A jar is 7 fl oz and $4.29 at The Market.

Is it any better than Straus European Style Yogurt? I haven’t had Straus in a long time, so I’m not sure.

THE MARKET: 1511 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.

Gjusta’s Sheep’s Milk Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. I finally made it Gjusta in Venice and I found out they have their own grocery store called Gjusta Grocer. Gjusta Grocer had tubs of Gjusta sheep’s milk yogurt with plum compote. They make their own yogurt! I think I might have seen it at Gjusta too. I’m sure the compotes are seasonal. Plums are in season.

Sheep’s Milk Yogurt with Plum Compote: The yogurt is thick (not as thick as Greek yogurt or skyr) and sour. The compote isn’t that sweet though there are chunks of plum and the plum is naturally sweet. The compote adds some tang. I loved it because it tasted simple and natural, not overly sweetened and not overly processed. I’ll have to get more. It’s better than some of the sheep’s milk yogurt that I’ve gotten from farmer’s markets because those taste sweeter.

A tub is 8 oz and $6. The list of ingredients is short: sheep’s milk, local plums, lemon, organic sugar, salt. No nutritional information is provided. I’m guessing that it’s full fat because of the richness and taste of cream.

5 out of 5 stars

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

GJUSTA GROCER: 105 Windward Ave, Venice, CA 90291

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.

G-Pa Ryc Organics Durty Gut YogArt Review

Fro-yo girl here. On a recent trip to the new Meat & Essentials, the new butchery and mindful market in San Marino, I spotted a brand of yogurt that I’ve never seen before, G-Pa Ryc Organics Durty Gut YogArt. It’s organic, vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, and locally produced (in Ventura, CA). I spotted three flavors: Lemon Vanilla Bean, Midnite Magick Dark Chocolate, and Vanilla Bean. They come in glass jars. One 16 oz jar of YogArt was $20. A portion of profits go to building houses for Widows in Ethiopia and orphans in Honduras.

Lemon Vanilla Bean YogArt: The texture is the thickest and smoothest that I’ve ever encountered in a yogurt. It has a pot set quality. It’s very rich but so good too – like eating a dense lemony cream that isn’t too sweet but has an intriguing tang. It tastes so much better than The Coconut Cult but it’s not clear how many active cultures or what type of cultures are in their yogurt.

YogArt is sweetened with maple sugar and coconut sugar, not refined sugar. The main ingredient is coconut cream. It also has active cultures so it’s good for your gut. Coconut cream is super rich, so the serving size is just 1.75 tbsp. One serving is 120 calories, 10g total fat, 0 cholesterol, 3g total sugars, and 0g protein.

5 out of 5 stars.

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

MEAT & ESSENTIALS: 2004 Huntington Dr, San Marino, CA 91108

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.

La Fermière French Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. I remember hearing about La Fermière French yogurt awhile ago and recently, they expanded their availability to Southern California. The yogurt and desserts company was founded in Marseille, France in 1952 and its products are available throughout Europe and more recently, in the US.

So, what is French yogurt? It’s custard style yogurt that’s made in small individual serving size pots. The ingredients are poured into the small pots and allowed to set, a process that takes a few hours. Oui by Yoplait introduced French style yogurt to the US in 2017.

La Fermière makes its yogurt in New York with local dairy and all-natural ingredients. The glass and terracotta pots are sustainable. They emphasize the quality and simplicity of the all-natural ingredients. The whole milk yogurt is gluten free and rbGH free. It’s free of chemical stabilizers, gelatin, preservatives, artificial coloring and high fructose corn syrup. For the fruit varieties, the fruit is on the bottom. They recommend NOT stirring the yogurt before consuming.

I found La Fermière at Gelson’s in La Canada Flintridge, CA for $2.99 each (regular price). They had five flavors. Interesting, the weight isn’t the same for all the flavors. In Southern California, you can also find La Fermière at Erewhon and select Jensen’s locations.

Vanilla Bean: The yogurt was smooth and creamy, with the consistency of a light custard. It had a fair amount of tang and was also fairly sweet. The vanilla flavor was mild and there was a cream like aftertaste. It was good but I wanted more vanilla flavor and less sugar. The texture sets it apart from most of the existing yogurt offerings in the US. I actually prefer Oui's Vanilla yogurt though - it's not as sweet and the vanilla flavor is more floral. Vanilla is Oui's best flavor. 

One serving is 4.9 oz, 180 calories, 11g total fat, 18g total carbs, 17g total sugars, and 4g protein.

Ingredients: Pasteurized whole milk, pasteurized cream, cane sugar, natural vanilla flavor, live active cultures

Orange Blossom Honey: This was my favorite variety because of the flavor of the orange blossom honey. It was tangy, smooth, creamy and quite sweet. One serving is 4.9 oz, 190 calories, 11g total fat, 19g total carbs, 18g total sugars, and 4g protein. I even made froyo pops with the orange blossom honey yogurt. The pops weren’t as creamy as the refrigerated yogurt.

Ingredients: Pasteurized whole milk, pasteurized cream, orange blossom honey, live active cultures

Plain: This wasn’t as smooth as the other two varieties for some reason. It was of course less sweet and it also had a cream aftertaste. One serving (5.6 oz) was 160 calories, 13g total fat, 7g total carbs, 7g total sugars, and 5g protein. 

Ingredients: Pasteurized whole milk, pasteurized cream, live active cultures.

The terracotta pots are stamped La Fermière and painted a lovely shade of periwinkle blue. The pots are safe in the microwave, freezer, and oven (up to 480 degrees). Previous limited edition pots included cute designs like hearts and flowers. Save them because I see a lot for sale, with some people asking for over $10 for one pot! Even their glass jars are being sold on eBay, but the terracotta pots are worth a lot more. You could even conceivably earn enough to cover the cost of the yogurt, though there are a lot for sale on eBay, so perhaps not. 

Oui has cute glass pots too. They're striped for a limited time - in navy. Very chic. I sense a battle of the chic French yogurt pots. Oui has three new limited edition pot designs.

Available flavors: Plain, Pressed Lemon, Orange Honey Blossom, Vanilla Bean, Raspberry Blueberry, Mango Passion Fruit, Pineapple Coconut and Apple Kiwi. Seasonal flavors are also offered.

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.

Givat Yogolite Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. I stocked up on kosher Cholov Yisroel yogurt on a recent trip to Livonia Glatt Market. Givat Yogolite is a line of Swiss style, nonfat blended yogurt with live and active cultures, from Givat Dairy of Elizabeth, NJ. Each cup is 5 oz. Livonia was selling Yogolite for $1.39.

Cholov Yisroel means that the entire production process was under strict and diligent rabbi supervision. It is a higher standard of kosher dairy.

* Espresso coffee yogurt: Since it’s European/Swiss style yogurt, I don’t think it was strained. It was thin and smooth. The flavor was incredibly sweet though it had some tang and a mild coffee flavor. It was so sweet that I couldn’t eat it until I blended it with some plain yogurt to cut the sweetness. The yogurt had 26g of sugars and 130 calories.

Ingredients: Cultured pasteurized grade A nonfat milk, sugar, coffee, modified food starch, natural & artificial flavor, citric acid, lemon juice concentrate, potassium sorbate, caramel color, live and active cultures

Other flavors from Yogolite include Vanilla, Strawberry, Plain, Peach, Berry Blend, Field Berry, Strawberry Banana.

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

2.5 out of 5 stars.

* LIVONIA GLATT MARKET: 8922 W Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035

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.

Morinaga ALOVE Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. Morinaga introduced a new Japanese style yogurt called ALOVE Yogurt at Natural Products EXPO West in March 2017. The new line of yogurt comes in three flavors: Original Aloe, Strawberry and Blueberry. It’s the first Japanese style aloe vera yogurt offered in the US. 

Morinaga describes their yogurt as “a delicious and nutritious, kosher-certified yogurt snack that offers a good source of protein and calcium, with no artificial flavors. Made in the U.S. from locally sourced California milk, the product contains zero high-fructose corn syrup, is gluten-free and does not contain aloin. ALOVE is made via Morinaga’s proprietary process; fresh aloe is removed from the aloe plant leaves, leaving only the best and tastiest parts, and then mixed into creamy yogurt.” 

The key selling point of this yogurt is the addition of aloe, which is considered by some to have many health benefits, such as supporting digestion and the immune system, promoting hair growth, lowering cholesterol and detoxification. Aloe drinks have become more popular and it’s sometimes added to tea drinks at Asian boba shops. 

I found ALOVE Yogurt at Good Fortune Supermarket in Monrovia, CA. They had all three flavors. One 6 oz cup was $1.48 on sale, $1.99 regular price. ALOVE Yogurt doesn’t appear to be strained, so it has a runny consistency. The tiny bits of aloe vera gel are soft and lightly sweet; they add texture and heft. It has live and active cultures. 

• Original aloe: This had the strongest aloe flavor, so this was the flavor that I liked the best. Aloe has a mild, sweet flavor. The yogurt was pretty tangy though not sour. One serving is 150 calories, with 4g total fat, 23g carbohydrates, 18g total sugars, and 6g of protein. 
• Blueberry: The blueberry flavor comes from blueberry juice, so it’s noticeable but not very strong. 
• Strawberry: The strawberry flavor was mild. The aloe flavor makes it a bit different. 

I wasn’t used to the thin, runny consistency. The yogurt wasn’t that different except for the aloe. If you really like aloe or believe in its health benefits, I recommend trying it. 

3.5 out of 5 stars. 

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

* GOOD FORTUNE SUPERMARKET: 935 W Duarte Rd., Monrovia, CA 91016 

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.

New Noosa Mates Review

Fro-yo girl here. Noosa Yoghurt recently expanded its offerings with a new line called Noosa Mates. Noosa Mates pair Noosa’s creamy full fat yogurt with toppings. The toppings are kept in a separate compartment. I found Noosa Mates at Target for $2.39 each. One serving is 5.5 oz, so it’s smaller than the typical Noosa container.

Available flavors: Banana Chocolate Peanut Butter, Honey Pretzel Peanut, Coconut Almond Chocolate, Maple Ginger, Honey Cranberry Almond.

* Honey Pretzel Peanut: The honey yogurt was thick, smooth, and creamy. The honey flavor is very prominent, to the point that it overwhelmed the flavor of Guittard chocolate bits. I could taste the peanuts and pretzels. It felt like there weren’t enough toppings. The toppings were good and complemented the yogurt but I wasn’t wowed. I did like the yogurt.

* Maple Ginger: This featured maple yogurt with crunchy granola, gingersnap streusel and candied ginger. The maple yogurt tasted quite similar to the honey yogurt but with a hint of maple. The granola was in small clusters. One serving was 240 calories, 9g fat, 32g carbohydrates, 24g sugars and 8g protein.

I like Noosa and while there was nothing wrong with Noosa Mates, I found the combinations predictable and safe. I think the toppings should be more interesting and that there should be a wider base of yogurt flavors.

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.

Oui by Yoplait French Style Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. General Mills recently introduced a new yogurt line, called Oui by Yoplait. Oui by Yoplait represents a new category of yogurt in the US. It’s inspired by traditional pot-set French style yogurt which involves pouring the ingredients into small pots and letting the contents of each glass pot to set and culture for eight hours. The standard process for US yogurt making involves culturing ingredients in large batches and then filling individual cups.

Oui by Yoplait is part of the trend towards simple food made with just a few ingredients. The Plain variety is made with milk and yogurt cultures; that's all. It’s non-GMO with no artificial preservatives, no artificial flavors and no artificial colors. It also is on trend by using whole milk. The line has eight flavors: Strawberry, Blueberry, Black Cherry, Vanilla, Coconut, Lemon, Peach and Plain. The fruit is on the bottom but the product isn’t meant to be stirred before eating. Warning: I stirred one of the yogurts I had and it lost the lovely, smooth texture.

I spotted Oui by Yoplait at Walmart, with a retail price of $1.34. The glass jars with the foil seals are adorable. They look like something you’d find at a farmers’ market in Europe with the flavor written in cursive by hand. The foil seals are illustrated with the flavor of the yogurt and there’s a cute saying on the bottom of the foil. So cute.

* Vanilla: It’s not like Greek yogurt but has a firm, smooth, thick, custardy texture. It’s smoother than most yogurt that I’ve tried. The flavor was subtle – the vanilla was not overpowering. It tasted like a milk custard with a hint of vanilla. It was lightly sweet but not tart, with a mild tang. I liked the subtle mildness.

One serving is 5 oz (smaller than average), 170 calories, 8g total fat, 16g total carbohydrates, 15g sugars and 5g protein.

Ingredients: Pasteurized grade A milk, cane sugar, yogurt cultures (L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus), vanilla extract.

* Black Cherry: The ombre pink color is so pretty. The cherry preserve on the bottom wasn’t too sweet and it has chunks of cherry. The yogurt was mild and smooth.

Ingredients: Pasteurized grade A milk, cane sugar, cherries, pectin, blueberry and carrot juice, yogurt cultures (L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus), natural flavor.

General Mills is hoping that French style yogurt will be the new Greek yogurt and revive its declining yogurt sales. It’s been years since I liked a Yoplait product and I was pleasantly surprised by Oui by Yoplait. I think the simplicity of the ingredients (no thickeners were used) and the pot set method made a difference that’s worth tasting and eating. I’m inspired to try all the Oui flavors.

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.

Aldi Friendly Farms New Aussie Style Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. I was shopping at my neighborhood Aldi when I noticed a new product, Friendly Farms Lemon or Cherry Aussie Style Yogurt (8 oz, $1.49). The new yogurt was in the limited time, premium buys section, so I don’t think it will be available for long, unfortunately.

The tub shape and size are identical to Noosa. Like Noosa’s Lemon, Friendly Farms’ version has honey and butter.

One serving of the Lemon yogurt (8 oz) is 340 calories, 39g of sugars, and 15g total fat. It’s full fat and unstrained. It seems a little sweeter than Noosa’s already sweet lemon yogurt but it does have a thick, smooth texture and a delicious tangy flavor. It’s definitely rich and filling.

The cherry flavor is also good and tangier (it has less sugar). I love the little bits of cherry in the yogurt.

I was pleasantly surprised by Friendly Farms Aussie Style Yogurt and I hope to run into it again.

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.

Starbucks Spring New Yogurt Offering, Lemon Chiffon Yogurt

Fro-yo girl here. Starbucks recently introduced new spring menu items, including a gluten free breakfast sandwich, vegan bagel and two yogurt offerings are the Berry Trio Yogurt and Lemon Chiffon Yogurt.

Berry Trio Yogurt is “a nonfat creamy vanilla yogurt with sliced strawberries, whole blueberries, raspberries and honey oat granola. It has 14 grams of protein per serving.”

Lemon Chiffon Yogurt is a “creamy, flavorful parfait (that) includes vanilla whole-milk yogurt and a traditional lemon curd for the perfect balance of tart and sweet with a bright lemon flavor.”

I tried the Lemon Chiffon Yogurt ($3.75 for a 7.2 oz cup). It’s made exclusively for Starbucks. The lemon curd is on the bottom. The vanilla yogurt has vanilla bean specks throughout. The yogurt has a strange, slimy, gummy texture that I didn’t find pleasant. It’s probably because the yogurt is made with thickeners like carob bean gum and pectin. It’s very sweet and rich. The lemon curd does have some tanginess which is nice but there’s too much sugar (35g). One serving is 340 calories, 13g of total fat and 38g of carbohydrates.

Ingredients: Vanilla yogurt (cultured pasteurized grade A milk, agave syrup, vanilla extract, carob bean gum, vanilla beans, pectin, water), lemon curd (sugar, lemon juice, pasteurized eggs, butter (cream, natural flavors), modified food starch).

I recommend getting the Siggi’s yogurt that they carry instead.

3 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.

Yoplait Custard Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. Yoplait recently brought back Yoplait Custard Yogurt, a product that they discontinued several years ago. Yoplait Custard fans contacted the company asking for them to bring the product back and they listened.

Yoplait Custard Yogurt has no artificial colors or flavors and no high fructose corn syrup. The available flavors are: banana, blueberry, caramel, lemon, strawberry and vanilla. It’s made with whole milk. One serving is 5.3 oz. It has live and active cultures and is gluten free. It is “partially produced with genetic engineering.”

* Strawberry Custard Yogurt: The texture is different from other yogurts on the market. It’s glossy and smooth but in a way that feels firmer and set (like a custard). The strawberry flavor was faint but noticeable. It had a milky flavor and was tangier than I expected. While it is all natural, the aftertaste seemed somewhat artificial.

The strawberry custard yogurt was 170 calories with 5g of total fat and 19g of sugar.

Ingredients: Pasteurized grade A milk, sugar, modified corn starch, kosher gelatin, yogurt cultures, natural flavor, vegetable juice and beta carotene (for color).

3 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.

New Flavors from Noosa: Orange & Ginger, Pear & Cardamom, Strawberry & Hibiscus

Fro-yo girl here. Last year, Noosa introduced their Sweet Heat Collection. Those flavors combined fruit with different types of chili peppers. This year they’re again coming out with innovative flavors. The new Tart & Sweet Collection. Tart & Sweet “is the yoghurt that is yummier than the sum of its parts. Juicy fruits with a hint of herbs shine against our original tart yoghurt.” If you’ve ever thought that Noosa Yoghurt’s regular flavors contained too much sugar, the Tart & Sweet collection is for you. Noosa Key Lime has 35g of sugar compared to 23g for Noosa Strawberry & Hibiscus.

Target had all three of the new Noosa flavors: Orange & Ginger, Strawberry & Hibiscus, Pear & Cardamom. An 8 oz container is $2.39 at Target (suggested retail price $2.99). The fruit is on the bottom.

* Pear & Cardamom: The sweetness of the Bartlett pear makes this the sweetest of the new flavors. The pear chunks are also the largest of the fruit pieces in the new flavors, so this is the chunkiest variety. It does have less sugar than the regular Noosa but it’s still sweet (the right level of sweet). The pear bits are very nice and the cardamom is very subtle.

* Orange & Ginger: I love orange and fresh ginger but I’m not sure about this flavor. The orange bits are teeny but they do seem juicy. The fresh ginger is subtle unless you bite into a tiny ginger bit. The orange and ginger provide pops of flavor. The yogurt is quite tart and even sour.

* Strawberry & Hibiscus: If you like hibiscus, you should like this flavor. The hibiscus makes this the sourest and tangiest of the new flavors. I like sour, fruity yogurt so this one was the winner for me. The strawberries were muddled.

The yogurt is thick and creamy. It’s rich and indulgent. Whole milk is still used. One serving has 11g fat and 260 calories (fewer calories than the other Noosa flavors).

I looked for the new flavors at Sprouts but they didn’t carry them.

4.5 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.

Trimona Bulgarian Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. Greek yogurt has become so popular that the market has seen an influx of Greek yogurt alternatives. Enter Trimona Bulgarian Yogurt, a European-style yogurt made with lactobacillus bulgaricus and made in New York. It was developed by Atanas Valev with the help of two jars of homemade yogurt brought over from Bulgaria in 1991. 

Bulgarians have a long history of eating yogurt and special connection with yogurt, long revered for its health benefits. A Bulgarian scientist, Dr. Stamen Grigorov, discovered lactobacillus bulgaricus in 1905. Dr. Ilya Mechnikov won a Nobel prize for finding that fermented milk “was responsible for the hardiness of the Bulgarian people."

Trimona Bulgarian yogurt is organic, not strained and made from the milk of grass-fed cows. It is made with whole milk yogurt to which no sugar is added. You can get it plain or plain with flavorings in a separate compartment. I found Trimona for $1.99 (single serving, flavored) on sale at Sprouts (regular price: $2.29).

Varieties: Plain, Honey Ginger Cinnamon, Raspberry Coconut, Mango Passion Fruit, Blueberry Lavender

* Honey Ginger Cinnamon: I tried the plain yogurt side first. The texture is clumpier, thinner, and pretty sour (the whey wasn’t strained out). It had a clean taste and you could taste the richer cream notes from the whole fat milk. I liked how the cinnamon, ginger and honey mixture was kept separate so that you could control the desired level of sweetness. There was a very strong, sharp ginger flavor (I like ginger so that’s a good thing).

I liked how the yogurt was simple, minimally processed and similar to homemade yogurt. Good stuff.

One serving is 130 calories, 4.5g fat, 12g sugars, 4g protein

Ingredients: Pasteurized organic whole milk, live & active yogurt cultures, organic honey, water, organic ginger puree, pectin, organic ground ginger, organic cinnamon

I found this interesting snippet on the Trimona website about straining vs. not straining yogurt: “Greek yogurt is by definition a strained yogurt, which means they remove the liquid whey fraction. Bulgarian yogurt retains the whey, since it is one of the highest quality proteins, and is stocked with vitamins and minerals. Most Greek yogurt is further adulterated by removing fat and adding sugar. Some also add inferior protein and thickeners.”

4.5 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.

Noosa Yoghurt New Sweet Heat Flavors Review

Fro-yo girl here. I started seeing teaser ads about new flavors from Noosa on Twitter recently. The new flavors are part of the new “sweet heat” collection: Raspberry Habanero, Pineapple Jalapeno, Mango Sweet Chili, Blackberry Serrano, Mexican Chocolate (4 oz 4 packs only) and Bhakti Chai (limited batch).

I’ve looked for all the new flavors at Vons, Sprouts, Target, Whole Foods, and Gelson’s. I haven’t spotted Raspberry Habanero or Mango Sweet Chili yet. Target had the best selection of Noosa flavors.

* Blackberry serrano: The blackberry compote is on the bottom, so you can blend it in as much as you’d like. The yogurt smells like serrano chilies and it tastes like serrano chilies too. It’s spicier than I expected but of course yogurt is cooling, so it can handle some heat. The yogurt is thick and velvety. The blackberry compote had blackberry seeds and though the seeds were hard, they added a nice texture. The flavor is definitely different, sweet yet spicy, but it’s really good and it’s still mostly sweet. One serving has 36g of sugar and 300 calories.

* Pineapple jalapeno: This was a pretty spicy and pretty sweet yogurt as well. The pineapple flavor is also strong. This is one flavorful cup of yogurt. I liked the blackberry serrano flavor better. I liked the tartness of the blackberry.

* Bhakti chai (limited batch): Unlike the other Noosa flavors, there is no compote. It looks like they poured a cup of Bhakti Chai on top of their honey sweetened yogurt. The honey flavor seemed more pronounced than usual and the warm spices included cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and clove (possibly others). It’s very sweet but the yogurt is still tangy. The texture is rich, creamy and smooth. One serving has 11g fat, 34g of sugar, 300 calories and 8 ozs.

The Noosa yogurts are very flavorful and velvety but they’re also very sweet. I do like the unusual flavors and I hope to find all the flavors in the near future.

I found Noosa on sale at Target for $2. The regular price is $2.39-$2.59.

4.5 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.

Stonyfield Oh My Yog! Tri-Layer Organic Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. Stonyfield launched the Oh My Yog! Yogurt line late last month. Oh My Yog! features a unique tri-layer format: cream on top, creamy yogurt with a touch of honey in the middle and fruit on the bottom. It’s made with organic ingredients, including organic whole milk.

A six ounce cup retails for $1.59 (I found it at Whole Foods for $1.79). The Orange Cranberry flavor is 190 calories with 5 grams of fat.

Available flavors: Madagascar Vanilla Bean, Wild Quebec Blueberry, Pacific Coast Strawberry, Gingered Pear, Apple Cinnamon, and Orange Cranberry.

* Orange Cranberry: I peeled the lid off and stuck my spoon in it. Each layer is so different that I felt like stirring them together. The top layer of cream made the stirred yogurt clumpy but it wasn’t unpleasant to consume lumpy yogurt. I found some tiny orange bits. The orange flavor is very prominent while the cranberry flavor is subtle. The yogurt is very sweet (it’s sweetened with sugar and honey) and felt indulgent. I missed the yogurt tang. I could see eating this yogurt as a dessert or snack (rather than for breakfast).

* Madagascar Vanilla Bean: I tried eating it without stirring it...it definitely needs to be stirred well. The clumpy cream is tasty and the vanilla flavor is strong. This flavor was better than the Orange Cranberry but I found it too sweet.

Ingredients (Orange Cranberry): Cultured pasteurized organic milk, organic sugar, organic honey, organic orange juice, organic cranberries, organic orange peel, natural flavor, pectin, organic carob bean gum, contains live active cultures

Want to try Oh My Yog!? Use Stonyfield’s store locator: http://www.stonyfield.com/products/oh-my-yog

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.

Greek Pastures Greek Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. Greek Pastures is a new Greek yogurt line featuring grass-fed milk from local Georgia farms made in small batches. Their unique flavors also set them apart. Each cup is 6 ozs. The yogurt is Kosher, gluten free and rBST free. Most flavors are fat free. The yogurt is all natural and has live and active cultures.

The line comes in six flavors: Cherry & Port Wine, Karma Java, Mixed Berries, Vanilla & Caramel, Tropical Sweet Heat (Pineapple, Mango, Habanero), Peach & Ginger

* Vanilla & Caramel: It has the thick, dense, creamy texture of Greek yogurt. I liked how tangy the flavor. The caramel flavor was difficult to discern. The vanilla flavor was more noticeable. It wasn’t as sweet as some yogurts but still fairly sweet. Tastes like real yogurt (yay)!

* Mixed Berry: The berries are cooked in a kettle and left chunky. The fruit isn’t on the bottom. You get bursts of fruit flavor and the seeds are left in. This flavor seemed much sweeter than the Vanilla & Caramel though it still had some tanginess. It was too sweet for me (though all their flavors have 11g of sugar).

I found Greek Pastures at Whole Foods for $2.09 on sale ($2.49 regular price).

Ingredients (Mixed Berry): Cultured pasteurized non-fat milk, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, pure cane sugar, orange juice.

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.

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.