Salt & Straw’s Starling Sweet Potato Buckwheat Crumble

Fro-yo girl here. This month, Salt & Straw’s The Chef Series features ice cream flavors created with chefs.

The flavors are:

• Cheesecake with Salted Yuzu Curd
• Hong Kong Milk Tea with Toasted White Chocolate
• Chocolate Caramel Smoked Budino
• Starling Sweet Potato Buckwheat Crumble
• Caramelized Plantain with Spicy Pecan Crumble (v)

One of these flavors contains the word yogurt in the description.

Starling Sweet Potato Buckwheat Crumble: “From Dan Barber, iconic chef of Blue Hill at Stone Barns and co-founder of Row 7, this flavor celebrates the Starling purple sweet potato, a new Row 7 variety developed for exceptional flavor. This stunningly purple potato is steamed and whipped with sweet cream, sake lees (the slightly boozy, super flavorful byproduct of sake), and yogurty shio koji (a richly creamy rice sauce) into an earthy, almost ube-like ice cream full of fermented richness. We then drizzle in our Starling sweet potato swirl, cooked with a salty miso, before folding in a nutty buckwheat Florentine crumble.”

I don’t think it’s really a frozen yogurt, although it is made with cultured cream. I decided to try it anyway.

Starling Sweet Potato Buckwheat Crumble: The ice cream had a lot of textural components and flavors. It was thick and had a texture and flavor that reminded me mashed sweet potato. There was also an abundant amount of buckwheat crumble. I loved the buckwheat crumble because of the toasty flavor. It also wasn’t as sweet as a cookie. I could taste the sake, so that definitely made the flavor even more unique. The color was a striking purple. Overall, it was a bit too sweet for me, but I did love the crumble and sweet potato flavor.

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 Jeni’s Flavor: Summer Berries & Passion Fruit

Fro-yo girl here. Remember back to when Jeni’s used to be proud of offering frozen yogurt? They were the only ones making buttermilk frozen yogurt (as far as I know). They deemphasized the fact that they make frozen yogurt, and the latest flavor, Summer Berries & Passion Fruit, has yogurt and cultured buttermilk, but it’s called ice cream.

Jeni’s describes the flavor as, “A lush, fragrant blend of raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries folded into cream. Cultured buttermilk and fresh yogurt to boost the berries’ brightness and create an almost bouncy texture. The showstopping finish? A sunny passion fruit curd that adds perfect texture and tropical punch to every bite.”

Summer Berries & Passion Fruit: The color and flavor reminded me of blueberries and cream, with added tang from the yogurt and cultured buttermilk. The passion fruit hits you after (it’s drizzled in rather than blended throughout). The yogurt buttermilk ice cream is quite tangy and quite sweet. I liked it, but I do prefer the even tangier froyo flavors like Rainbow BFY (buttermilk frozen yogurt).

A single scoop is almost $9 now, pre-tax.

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.

Menchie’s June Featured Flavors

 

Fro-yo girl here. Happy June, aka, National Frozen Yogurt Month. Menchie’s has two new featured flavors that I just tried.

Strawberry Lemonade sorbet is vegan and made with real strawberries and lemons. It tastes more like strawberry than lemon. It’s pretty sweet. I was looking for something zesty and tart. I also found the taste to be artificial and the texture icy. It is made with no artificial flavors and no artificial colors though.

Sweet Cantaloupe froyo: This was also sweet but it tasted more natural and was less icy. It tasted like cantaloupe but not one note. It had some flavor variations that reminded me of cantaloupe. It’s made with no artificial flavors, no artificial colors and no high fructose corn syrup. Recommended toppings: strawberries, mochi, popping boba.

Menchie’s is also offering a spin on the prize wheel on the app every Monday for Swirl Club members.

The featured flavors are available for a limited time

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.

Pinkberry’s New Supergirl Galactic Lemonade Flavor

 

Fro-yo girl here. Pinkberry just dropped its summer froyo flavor, and it’s inspired by the new DC Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures Supergirl movie. The new flavor, Supergirl Galactic Lemonade Frozen Yogurt is tart frozen yogurt that they recommend pairing with strawberries, blueberry popping boba, and gold glitter. The froyo is a light blue color (from butterfly pea flower).

The new Supergirl Galactic Lemonade is an iced lemonade topped with butterfly pea flower tea and dusted with gold glitter.

Supergirl Galactic Lemonade Frozen Yogurt: It’s refreshing, sweet, and tangy. It is quite sweet but the tang helps. The texture is light and icier. I thought it was tasty, but I prefer some of the other Pinkberry lemon flavors, particularly Meyer Lemon. Recommended toppings: strawberries, blueberries, and mochi.

Supergirl Galactic Lemonade Frozen Yogurt and Supergirl Galactic Lemonade are available in participating stores nationwide until July 23, 2026.

You can also enter the Pinkberry x Supergirl Sweepstakes for a chance to win a private screening of Supergirl, Supergirl-themed merchandise, Pinkberry merchandise, and a Pinkberry gift card. For full details and to enter online, visit https://Pinkberry.com/supergirlsweeps now through June 19, 2026.

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.

Menchie’s El Monte Has Closed

Fro-yo girl here. Menchie’s in El Monte, CA, quietly closed. They didn’t post any messages on social media that I could find, and they closed their Instagram account. It probably closed about a month ago. The location is no longer on the Menchie's website.

I didn’t like the shop because the frozen yogurt texture was often too icy, but they were good about putting out the new flavors. I encountered stale toppings as well. The scanner was broken for over a year, so I couldn't complete the Menchie's app game challenge. 

The shop opened in 2016, so it just turned ten. The owners may have decided not to renew the franchise agreement.

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

* MENCHIE'S, 10619 Valley Blvd Unit D, El Monte, CA 91731

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.

Tropical Lifeway Kefir Smoothie Review

Fro-yo girl here. While I was at the new Erewhon in Glendale, I noticed the various signs for smoothies. Most smoothies have bananas and some kind of sweetener…but then I saw the Tropical Lifeway smoothie, which sounded TART.

It’s made with Lifeway organic kefir, organic orange, organic lemon juice, organic pineapple, organic mango, organic mint, organic coconut cream, and organic spirulina. A small is just $12.

Tropical Lifeway Kefir Smoothie: It was thick and surprisingly tart. The pineapple flavor was the most pronounced among the fruits. The fruit flavor combined with the fresh mint flavor was fresh, vibrant, and punchy. The kefir and coconut cream added richness. I'm sure the kefir added sourness too.

The world should have more tart smoothies.

The Tropical Lifeway Kefir smoothie is available at all Erewhon locations until the end of June.

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.

Learn the Latest About Frozen Yogurt in a Free, Live, Online Class

Fro-yo girl here. Frozen Dessert University by Carpigiani North America and the International Frozen Yogurt Association just announced a brand new class, The Business of Frozen Yogurt. It’s live, online, and free. You do have to register to attend.

What’s the class about? The IFYA will present the latest trends in the frozen yogurt industry and market insights, while Carpigiani will handle the hands-on demonstration of how to make frozen yogurt.

Who is the class for? Current or prospective foodservice operators interested in serving soft serve frozen yogurt

Class Details

• Date: Wednesday, June 3, 2026
• Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EDT
• Format: Live online
• Cost: Free (registration required)

You’ll leave the class with:

• A clear understanding of current frozen yogurt trends
• Practical guidance on choosing the right equipment
• Creative serving ideas that drive engagement and sales
• Real world examples from successful froyo businesses
• Inspiration to build or refresh your own frozen yogurt program

Register online to reserve your spot.

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.