Divino: Handcrafted Gelato Filled Fruit Made in Italy Review

Fro-yo girl here. While looking for supermarket froyo, I noticed a new brand called Divino. These single serve hand-crafted frozen treats are made with Italian fruit from the Amalfi Coast and they’re served in their own fruit shells. The edible packaging reminded me of Stonyfield’s frozen yogurt pearls.

I spotted Divino at Lassen’s and Bristol Farms. They were on sale at Bristol Farms, two for $5 (regularly $3.99 each).

Flavors: Amalfi Lemon, Roman Kiwi, Ciaculli Tangerine, Apulian Peach and Black Diamond Plum

Each serving is approximately 100 calories, non-GMO verified and contains fresh fruit pulp, cane sugar, water and lemon juice. On the box it’s called gelato but there was no dairy in the tangerine so it was sorbet. Apparently in Italy, ice cream and sorbet are both called gelato because gelato means frozen. I found that confusing.

The box suggests thawing your Divino treat for 20 minutes. I did that and after 20 minutes it was still frozen solid. I was able to pry off the rind and then waited for the sorbet to soften. It stayed solid for a long time. I chipped off small pieces with the enclosed gelato spoon and the spoon broke.

* Ciaculli tangerine: I don’t think I’ve had a Ciaculli tangerine before so I was excited to try it. It was fragrant and tasted like a mild, sweeter tangerine. I was surprised by how much sweeter it was but then I looked at the nutritional information, 21.7g of sugar per serving – that’s a lot of sugar. I’m not sure why they had to add that much sugar (the amount you’d find in ice cream). The peel was thin and soft. I tried it – it had the bitterness you’d expect from a tangerine peel. The sorbet was too sweet for me; I would have appreciated some tang. Also, it was difficult to eat. I’d rather eat a tangerine.

* Black diamond plum: I liked this sorbet better than the tangerine one, even though it had even more sugar, 22.1g of sugar per serving. The plum had a deeper, richer flavor and the shell/skin was edible. It was more icy than creamy.

One serving was 120 calories with no fat. Ingredients (tangerine): tangerine pulp, cane sugar, invert cane sugar, water, lemon juice.

You can find Divino stockists on their website: http://lovedivino.com/find/ or purchase it online from Williams Sonoma, http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/gelato-filled-fruit-set/

3 out of 5 stars

* BRISTOL FARMS: 606 S Fair Oaks Ave., South Pasadena, CA 91030

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.

Yogurtland’s Flavor Quest Continues with Apple Strudel with Caramel (Austria)

Fro-yo girl here. Yogurtland’s Fourth Annual Flavor Quest brings you a new frozen yogurt flavor: Apple Strudel with Caramel. The new flavor was inspired by the flavors of Austria. I’ve never seen Apple Strudel froyo offered anywhere else though I’ve seen apple pie froyo, which is probably similar. Red Mango introduced Cinnamon Apple Pie froyo in 2012. Dannon Yo Cream has an apple pie froyo flavor and Honey Hill Farms has a spiced apple pie froyo flavor.

Apple Strudel with Caramel froyo is described by Yogurtland as: “A new take on the classic Austrian dessert of apples and cinnamon baked inside flaky pastry dough. With real caramel blended in and notes of real cinnamon, this delectable treat will become the apple of your eye.”

Apple Strudel with Caramel froyo is lowfat. It’s creamy and rich. I mainly tasted apples and caramel; the cinnamon note must have been overpowered by the sweet caramel. There is something about it that makes it different from caramel apple – the pastry note which for some reason had a bitter quality to it. The aftertaste wasn’t good.

Suggested toppings: Almonds, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, whipped cream

There was also a new topping available, Venetian chocolate truffle. It’s a good size, dense truffle that’s creamy and very chocolatey. The exterior is dusted with cocoa powder.

Every Thursday will feature a new froyo flavor. The flavor will run for two weeks or while supplies last.

Collect a stamp in your passport for every visit. The more stamps you collect, the more free froyo you can earn. Collect five stamps and get 5 free ounces. Collect ten stamps and you’ll be rewarded with 10 free ounces. Join Real Rewards to participate.

Next up: Fig & Honey Gelato (Middle East): April 21

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.

Sweet Rose Creamery: Ojai Pixie Frozen Yogurt

Fro-yo girl here. The city of Ojai is currently celebrating the Fourth Annual Pixie Month. Pixies are a sweet, seedless variety of tangerines native to the Central Coast and grown in Ojai. Several eateries in Ojai are featuring Ojai Pixie creations. 

The master ice cream maker at Sweet Rose Creamery, Shiho Yoshikawa, is an Ojai native and she created the new Ojai Pixie frozen yogurt flavor for Pixie Month. The limited time flavor is currently available at all Sweet Rose Creamery shops during the month of April. It’s scoopable (not soft serve).

I haven’t had the Ojai pixie tangerine but I did try the Ojai Pixie frozen yogurt. The flavor is very much like a freshly squeezed glass of tangerine juice that’s sweeter and less acidic than an orange, mellowed out by the milkiness of the frozen yogurt. It was very fresh tasting, unlike most of the frozen yogurt that I consume. The texture was on the icy side, more reminiscent of a sorbet than a rich ice cream. While I liked it, I wish it had a stronger yogurt flavor and a creamier texture.

Visit Sweet Rose Creamery’s website and enter the raffle for a chance to win a weekend getaway to Ojai.

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 Spread Mediterranean Kitchen in Downtown LA Offers Housemade Greek Froyo

Fro-yo girl here. Downtown LA has always been a bit of a froyo desert. While you could find froyo here and there, there were very few places to get your froyo. This is surprising since a thriving downtown area usually has a lot of froyo. Good news: Spread Mediterranean Kitchen opened last month.

It’s got a GRK/Souvla type of vibe and a similar set up for lunch: pick your base (housemade flat bread, basmati rice, hummus or salad greens), pick your main (falafel, grilled free range chicken, lamb meatballs, roasted mushrooms, braised beef) and pick your style (traditional, smooth & cool, savory & red, or cheesey & spicy).

The treats section of the menu includes housemade Greek frozen yogurt. There’s just one flavor, plain. Choose from the mini or large size ($2/$4). The list of toppings is short: beet salt & citrus powder, chai halva crumble, or harissa dry spice & pita chip. The toppings are included in the price of the yogurt.

Their frozen yogurt didn’t taste like the typical plain/original tart frozen yogurt. It was dense, smooth and icy. The taste was mild; I could taste the yogurt and it was sweetened but not as sweet. I like how the flavor had a clean, natural finish but it was on the bland side. There was little tang though it was refreshing. I did like the chai halva crumble – it was a bit crunchy and not too sweet. There was very little topping but she did offer me more after I started eating my froyo. I’d give the froyo 3.5 stars and the toppings a 4.5.

I thought the chicken flatbread wrap, cheesey & spicy style, was very tasty and flavorful though it didn’t come with much chicken. Spread is open daily from 11:30 AM – 11 PM. There’s free wi-fi before 6 PM and Middle Eastern inspired cocktails for the evening.

This is Spread’s first and only location. Will it spread?

* SPREAD MEDITERRANEAN KITCHEN: 334 S Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90034

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.

Plants vs. Zombies GW2 at Menchie’s: Plants Spoons

Fro-yo girl here. Menchie’s has partnered with Electronic Arts, the makers of Plants vs. Zombies the video game for a fun promotion involving Plants and Zombies collectible spoons. There are two spoon designs: green Plants and purple Zombies. The Menchie’s locations in my area started distributing Zombie froyo spoons last week but they didn’t give out the green Plant spoon.

I don’t know anything about the Plants vs. Zombies game, so I don’t know which characters are represented on the spoons. The green spoon character looks like a man, not a plant and he’s not on the Plants design Menchie’s cup. I wonder who he is? 

Update: I found out the man is Crazy Dave and the zombie is Dr. Zomboss.

The Menchie’s employees had on PVZ buttons…I didn’t see any for sale.

Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 2 is available for Xbox and PS4.

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.

Yogurtland’s Flavor Quest Continues with Coconut Mango Tart (Thailand)

Fro-yo girl here. Yogurtland’s Flavor Quest continues with a returning froyo flavor: Coconut Mango Tart, inspired by the flavors of Thailand. It was first introduced during the 2nd Flavor Quest in 2014. Flavor Quest flavors are usually new, so it’s interesting that they brought back a flavor from a previous Flavor Quest. Since it’s been two years since I last had Coconut Mango Tart, I gave it another try.

* Coconut Mango Tart (Thailand) is described by Yogurtland as “Taste a true tropical treat from Thailand and one of their most beloved culinary combos. We paired two of the best mango varieties in the world and blended it with coconut water for a light tart flavor that refreshes your tastebuds.” The sweet mango flavor dominates but you can taste the coconut too. I like how the coconut isn’t overpowering. It’s really about the sweetness of mangos. For a tart flavor, it’s not that tart. Coconut mango tart tastes similar to Yogurtland’s mango froyo flavor.

Suggested toppings: Coconut, mango, popping boba, salted caramel sauce, lychee

Every Thursday will feature a new froyo flavor. The flavor will run for two weeks or while supplies last.

Collect a stamp in your passport for every visit. The more stamps you collect, the more free froyo you can earn. Collect five stamps and get 5 free ounces. Collect ten stamps and you’ll be rewarded with 10 free ounces. Join Real Rewards to participate.

Sadly, some locations have run out of the French galette cookies. If you see them, get them. The next limited time only Flavor Quest topping will be chocolate truffles.

Next up: Apple Strudel with Caramel (Austria): April 14

P.S. It's raining today. Check your local Yogurtland to see if it has a rainy day special. Yogurtland Pasadena has a buy one, get one free double Real Rewards points on rainy days.

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 Frozen Yogurt/Ice Cream Shop: Sweet Lab in Rosemead, CA

Fro-yo girl here. Sweet Lab opened recently in Rosemead; they use liquid nitrogen and KitchenAid stand mixers to make your ice cream or frozen yogurt to order. One order gets you two scoops and they use cookies, nuts and cereal to make cute faces on your ice cream or frozen yogurt. You can get liquid nitrogen ice cream or frozen yogurt in a cup, waffle cone or Hong Kong style egg waffle cone (aka egg puffs, HK waffles), milk teas, and hot spicy dip (which I think it’s like a hot pot?)

There aren’t that many ice cream and yogurt flavors to choose from but the fruit flavors are made with real fruit. Froyo flavors ($5.50-$5.95): Double berry (strawberry, blueberry), Strawberry, Blueberry, Papaya, Mango

I recommend getting the egg waffles – they’re also made to order. The waffles look kinda like bubble tape. The bubbles are soft and the batter in between is crispier. People like the contrast between the warm waffles and the cold ice cream or frozen yogurt.
* Strawberry yogurt ($5.50): A little simplistic but natural tasting; imagine adding fruit to yogurt and freezing it. The frozen yogurt wasn’t too sweet and it was actually sour and tangy. The texture was soft and smoother than a mix in style yogurt. Some parts were firmer. 

* Egg waffle cone ($1): Very nice, the soft parts were soft, the crispy parts weren’t too crispy, the batter wasn’t too sweet and it had a hint of coconut, just $1 with your froyo or ice cream order, it’s totally worth it

I think my favorite part was the egg waffle cone but I don't think it would go well with soft serve froyo because the froyo would make it soggy.

$15 credit card minimum.

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

4 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

* SWEET LAB: 8526 Valley Blvd. # 112, Rosemead, CA 91770

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.