Fabulous Frozen Yogurt!

By:

by Lucie (age 11)

            My friends and I LOVE frozen yogurt!!

            Before I tell you my story, I'm going to give a few facts, just FYI:

            Although both taste delicious, there are significant differences between ice cream and frozen yogurt. Firstly, frozen yogurt has beneficial bacteria to help your immune system; ice cream has none. Secondly, although both have fat and sugar, frozen yogurt has less fat than ice cream, but has more sugar. Thirdly, ice cream became popular almost immediately after it was introduced to the country in 1760, but in the last ten years people have opened their minds and taste buds to the idea that frozen yogurt can be good tasting and good for you. Lastly, at ice cream parlors you order your ice cream, but at a frozen yogurt store it is self serve.

            Okay: back to my story:

            As I mentioned, frozen yogurt is a great treat and even though it is really delicious it has less fat than ice cream – plus beneficial bacteria, which ice cream doesn't have at all. I simply love all the fabulous flavors and toppings that are available. Some of my favorite flavors include red velvet, cake batter, and vanilla. Some of my favorite toppings are rainbow sprinkles, Oreos, white chocolate chips and caramel.

            Eating aside, one of the best parts of going out for a frozen yogurt treat is the experience of creating your own DIY frozen yogurt masterpiece! Most shops are self serve which means that the customer can select any flavor and topping combination that they desire. For example, recently I combined red velvet with caramel, rainbow sprinkles, and bites of Oreos while my friend mixed chocolate with chai, (available at Miam Miam on College Ave. in Rockridge) chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.

            I have been to almost every frozen yogurt shop in the East bay and all of them have their strengths and weaknesses. For example, Yogofina has great flavors and locations. There is a Yogofina in Montclair and on Lakeshore Ave., both in Oakland. Their flavors include standards like chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, but also include exotic flavors such as red velvet and dolce de de leches which is caramel flavor based on a traditional Mexican cake made with two kinds of milk. YUMM! Another one of my favorites is Yogurt Park located on Durant St. near Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley. Although they have only four flavors, their soft serve is great, but OMG their portions are HUGE! In my opinion their cup sizes need to be seriously down sized. Why do you ask? Because after eating one of their small cups I am so stuffed I feel like I’m going to burst into a million pieces.

            Even though I searched and searched, the one topping I could never find in a frozen yogurt store was whipped cream…my favorite. But last week while I was strolling down Piedmont Ave. in Oakland with my friend we passed a frozen yogurt store called Tutti Frutti. When we went inside I tried two flavors, but decided on vanilla. At the end of my trip through topping land, my eyes rested their gaze on a familiar bottle behind the sprinkles. WHIPPED CREAM!!! I couldn’t believe it. I had finally found a place that featured this unique topping. In disbelief I asked the cashier lady, “ Is that real whipped cream?” After what felt like ages she said, “ Yes!” My heart began to thump louder than the sound of car engines on the street outside the store. My friend began to chuckle in amusement as I began to happily squirt mounds of whipped cream on top of my yogurt. I squirted, I savored, and when I was finally finished, a large smile appeared on my face.

            I hope my article has convinced you to give frozen yogurt a try. It is a wonderful treat any day, cold or hot, and a really fun experience as well.