We love frozen yogurt, and we hope you do too! If you happen to be a fanatic of the sweet deliciousness of fro-yo, you’re in for a treat. But if you’re on the fence, no worries, hopefully these facts (and the yummy selections at 16 Handles) will win you over!
Now let’s get some brain stimulation going with 16 fun facts about frozen yogurt!
People have been eating plain yogurt for thousands of years, and its origins can be traced to the Middle East and India. Yogurt was brought to the United States in the 1900s and Dannon started selling it in the 1930s. That was when it became popular here in the US, and the rest is history!
Yogurt has been around for a while, but frozen yogurt is actually pretty new. Since freezers haven’t been around for as long, it wasn’t possible to make frozen yogurt until the 1900s, when freezers were invented. Even still, the first commercial frozen yogurt wasn’t available until the early 1970s. A few decades later, you can find frozen yogurt in markets and specialty frozen yogurt shops across the globe because of the high demand for this delicious treat!
Back when Fro-yo was first invented and sold, it was sold only in scoops like ice cream. When soft-serve frozen yogurt was first invented in the 1980s, it quickly became popular, and stores have been serving it like that ever since!
Dannon was always a big player in the yogurt industry. Back when fro-yo was first being created, Dannon released “Danny,” a fruit-flavored frozen yogurt popsicle, in 1979. It was the first frozen, perishable snack to be distributed in the United States.
Your beloved frozen yogurt contains bacteria, but don’t worry – it’s the good kind! Fro-yo is made by adding these good bacteria to milk and ferment, producing a lot of its unique qualities. After fermentation, lactose is turned into lactic acid, explaining the tart flavor in classic fro-yo, like our Eurotart flavor. These probiotics in fro-yo is actually really good for your digestive health. It has been shown to lower cholesterol and boost your immune system.
In addition to helping out your digestive and immune systems, the active cultures in fro-yo are actually known to improve bad breath! So, if you ever feel the need to freshen up a little, stopping by a fro-yo shop might be the way to go!
It depends on who’s making it, but it’s not always made from cow milk. In fact, lots of people make frozen yogurt out of milk from sheep, goats, and water buffalo. In parts of Asia, they might even use camels and yaks! 16 Handles sticks with cow’s milk for its classic fro-yos and ice creams, and we use cashew milk, soy milk, and fresh fruits for our non-dairy flavors.
Usually things that taste good aren’t good for you, but frozen yogurt begs to differ. Fro-yo actually comes with a lot of healthy vitamins and minerals such as calcium, potassium, B6, B12, and others! We all might need to eat some more fro-yo… for health reasons, of course 😉
Because of its high level of protein, fro-yo can actually make you feel full longer. Unlike a lot of other sweet-treats, frozen yogurt won’t leave you hungry.
You heard that right! The month of June has been National Frozen Yogurt Month in the United States since 1993. That might be an extra reason to treat yourself, but at 16 Handles, every month is frozen yogurt month.
A month AND a day? Yes, that’s how special this treat is. February 6th is National Frozen Yogurt Day, which proves that fro-yo is the perfect year-round snack!
Yeah, we have some mixed thoughts about that too… It used to be sold under the name “Fro-gurt” in New England in the 1970s when it was first created.
What’s Sakura? It’s a cherry blossom flavor that made for the first black fro-yo flavor ever! The black color came from a naturally activated charcoal. Cool, right?
Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan was nicknamed the Frozen Yogurt Justice, and rightfully so. Her deep love for frozen yogurt led to the first installation of a frozen yogurt station in the Supreme Court cafeteria. Paired with a variety of toppings and sauces, Justice Kagan has been applauded for this great feat. She really changed the Supreme Court cafeteria for the better.
Google has a habit of naming their codenames after tasty treats. Google Android’s 2.2 release in 2010 made an honorary mention to our fave dessert “Froyo.” Others have included ice cream, pie, and Oreos!
Okay, so this one might seem a little biased, but let us explain. In addition to a wide range of the most delicious and innovative flavors out there, our frozen yogurts are made with fresh, quality, natural ingredients. We also cater to your needs and restrictions by offering low-fat, fat-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan, and nut-free options! Pay us a visit; we always love to meet our fellow fro-yo lovers!