From Yogurt Closes in Alhambra, CA, Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt Renamed Zhen Tea in Temple City

Fro-yo girl here. From Yogurt, the first purple rice yogurt shop in the San Gabriel Valley, has closed. It was open less than a year. The shop opened in July 2021, taking over the Mr. Matcha space at 29 Valley Blvd in Alhambra. Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt in Arcadia is now called Der Tea. While they still serve purple rice yogurt, they also added other tea drinks. And Yomie’s Rice x Yogurt in Temple City is now called Zhen Tea. They still carry Yomie’s yogurt drinks.

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.

Freeze Dried Yogurt Cubes Trend

 

Fro-yo girl here. Shelf-stable yogurt products have become increasingly popular throughout Asia. I’ve noticed bottled ambient yogurt drinks and freeze-dried yogurt cubes at my local Asian grocery stores. Ambient yogurt drinks were launched in China in 2010 and they’ve taken off, accounting for 50% of yogurt sales in 2019. The cold chain distribution in China is not well-developed; ambient yogurt makes yogurt available for markets that don’t have access to refrigerated yogurt. And ambient yogurt products have a much longer shelf life. Also, fewer people are eating breakfast at home, so ambient yogurt offers a convenient, on-the-go source of nutrition.

As more manufacturers started offering ambient yogurt, they developed more varieties. In 2017, ambient yogurt with cereal and fruit was introduced. Ambient yogurt is now available in the Asia (e.g., Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand), Middle East, Africa, and South America. 

Shelf-stable yogurt drinks do not contain live cultures but are still seen as healthy and protein-rich. Freeze-dried yogurt cubes are made by drying yogurt at a low temperature; the process does not kill yogurt cultures. The yogurt is mixed with freeze dried fruit. Freeze-dried yogurt can be reconstituted with water or by adding the yogurt to a beverage. The snacks are also eaten straight out of the bag and on top of cereal or oatmeal.

While Gerber makes yogurt melts (freeze dried yogurt) in the US, their melts are tiny drops for babies and infants.

Here are some manufacturers of freeze-dried yogurt cubes

• Alor (Malaysia
• Alvin’s (Korea)
• Fresh Bulk (Malaysia)
• Frutara (Malaysia)
• Fu Kitchen (Malaysia)
• Little Spoon (Korea)
• MN (China)
• Naejae (Korea)
• One Little C (Malaysia)
• Papa-I (Korea)
• Pure Eat (Malaysia)
• Sanmaeul (Korea)
• Ssalgwaja (Korea)
• TG Lite (Malaysia)
• Wang Bao Bao (China)

I found Alor at Good Fortune Market in Alhambra. One 30g bag was $4.99. They had a few flavors, including durian, chocochips, mango, and strawberry. The cubes are a product of Malaysia and the first ingredient is yogurt. They contain live cultures. One serving (the whole bag) is 120 calories, 3g total fat, 16g total sugars, and 4g protein.

Alor Strawberry: The cubes are small – about ¾ of an inch tall and long and ½ an inch wide. Some pieces are bigger and some have more strawberry pieces.

I tried adding water and stirring to reconstitute. It took quite some time and a lot of stirring before the cubes dissolved into a thin yogurt. It tasted okay…slightly tangy, kinda bland.

I also added a few cubes to soy milk. It took a long time for the cubes to dissolve. They didn’t add much flavor to the soy milk.

My favorite way to eat them was straight out of the bag. They’re crunchy and melt in your mouth. The strawberries are quite tangy. The yogurt wasn’t as flavorful. They’re a bit chalky.

Verdict: The cubes are a fun, portable snack but you get very few in the pouch and fresh yogurt tastes better.

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 Menchie’s Flavors: Gourmet Pistachio Gelato

 

Fro-yo girl here. I went to a different Menchie’s location and found Gourmet Pistachio Gelato with live and active cultures. It was worth seeking out.

Gourmet Pistachio Gelato: Menchie’s describes Gourmet Pistachio Gelato as “rich and silky smooth with just a hint of salt! And because it’s made with real pistachios, no artificial flavors, no artificial colors, and no high-fructose corn syrup, this is a treat you can feel good about!” It was rich, smooth, and extra creamy. The pistachio flavor wasn’t strong but it was mild in a pleasant way. It’s so good with a sprinkle of something crunchy. Recommended toppings: Heath, almonds.

Gourmet Pistachio Gelato is available for a limited time, while supplies last.

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 Sour Patch Kids Yogurtland Spoon

 

Fro-yo girl here. Yogurtland has a new spoon, a green Sour Patch Kids spoon, inspired by their new flavor, Watermelon Sorbet made with Sour Patch Kids flavor. A new spoon design! What a nice surprise after years of introducing new colors of their spoons but the same design (their logo or the giant spoon). The last Yogurtland spoon with a different design was introduced in September 2019, when there were two new spoons for the Abominable movie.

The spoon says Join Real Rewards on the back.

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 Menchie’s Flavors: Gourmet Pistachio Gelato & Sonic’s Vegan Blue Raspberry Sorbet, New Cup, New Contest

 

Fro-yo girl here. Happy August! I just went to my Menchie’s and they already ran out of the new flavor, Gourmet Pistachio Gelato with live and active cultures. Hope I can find it later. They had the other new flavor though, Sonic’s Vegan Blue Raspberry Sorbet.

Sonic’s Vegan Blue Raspberry Sorbet: The sorbet is a pretty blue, the color of blue raspberries. It’s made with real raspberry puree. I could definitely taste the tang and it tasted like blue raspberry candy. Sonic’s Vegan Blue Raspberry Sorbet is nonfat, gluten-free, and does not contain high-fructose corn syrup. Recommended toppings: Sour Patch Kids and gummy worms.

There’s also a new blue Sonic the Hedgehog cup, featuring the image of Sonic the Hedgehog and info about the new Sega/Sonic Menchie’s contest. To enter the contest, scan your Menchie’s app in-store. Three people will win a SEGA Mini Genesis console AND 3 Sonic the Hedgehog games! Get an entry every time you scan your Menchie’s app in-store from now until August 31.

The new flavors are available for a limited time only.

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 Pressed Freeze Flavor, Passion Fruit

 

Fro-yo girl here. Pressed has a new Freeze (plant-based soft serve) flavor: Passion Fruit. It’s coconut milk-based and vegan. I tried it and it was very tangy (their tangiest flavor yet) and flavorful but the texture was too loose and runny. Their blueberry flavor was too runny as well. And the Rose flavor. Too bad because it tasted great – like passion fruit juice. Recommended toppings: Vegan gummy bears and coconut.

Passion Fruit Freeze is 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.

More Naturally Sweetened Flavors at Yoga-urt: Strawberry Serenity & Vanilla Harmony

Fro-yo girl here. We were back at Yoga-urt Kenneth Village this weekend to try the new batch of naturally sweetened flavors, Strawberry Serenity and Vanilla Harmony. I’ve had the regular versions of both many times. The new versions are sweetened with dates and grape juice concentrate, rather than organic sugar. They’re no sugar added, fruit-sweetened versions. Like all Yoga-urt flavors, they’re organic, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, all-natural, and kosher.

Naturally-sweetened Strawberry Serenity: I couldn’t really taste the dates but the strawberries were nice and tangy. So good! Natural tasting strawberry goodness.

Naturally-sweetened Vanilla Harmony: Vanilla Harmony has the strongest date flavor as the vanilla has always been pretty subtle. The dates give it a warmer flavor. Vanilla Harmony was a bit thicker than Strawberry Serenity.

I think I like NSA Strawberry Serenity better than regular Strawberry Serenity but I like regular Vanilla Harmony better than NSA Vanilla Harmony. Everything is delicious and good for you too.

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.