National Frozen Yogurt Day

In 1993, TCBY, "The Country's Best Yogurt," designated June as National Frozen Yogurt Month, the first week of June as National Frozen Yogurt Week, and the first Sunday of June as National Frozen Yogurt Day. Charles A. Cocatas, president and CEO of TCBY at the time, said of the day, "We're doing this in an effort to better inform the public of the benefits and the colorful history of yogurt." National Frozen Yogurt Day was placed on a Sunday to make a play on the words "Sunday" and "sundae," since frozen yogurt can be used to make sundaes. That first year, North Carolina Governor James B. Hunt declared the day and month in North Carolina as well.

Frozen yogurt is a dessert that is lower in fat than ice cream, because milk is used to make it instead of cream. Not only can cow's milk be used to make it, but also milk from sheep, goats, and water buffalo. It is usually more tart than ice cream as well. Frozen yogurt also usually has healthy probiotics, although not all kinds do. It can be bought at grocery stores or in soft serve form at frozen yogurt shops.

Yogurt has been around for about 5,000 years, originating in the Middle East and India. It was brought to the United States in the early 1900s, and Dannon started selling prepackaged yogurt in the 1930s. In the early 1970s, frozen yogurt entered the market without much success. Some said they did not like the taste, and that it tasted too much like what it was—yogurt. The first commercial brand was Frogurt; it debuted in New England and was served in scoops like ice cream. In 1979, Dannon started making the "Danny," which was frozen yogurt on a stick coated with chocolate.

After a call for something that tasted more like ice cream but was healthier than it, TCBY—which now stands for "The Country's Best Yogurt"—opened a store in 1981. The frozen yogurt was made through a soft serve machine, not pre-packaged like previous versions. Frozen yogurt began to take off in the more-health-conscious 1980s. More frozen yogurt shops started to pop up, and sales of frozen yogurt reached $25 million in 1986. By the 1990s, ten percent of frozen desserts sold in the United States were frozen yogurt. But, as the 1990s progressed, interest in frozen yogurt declined, and there was a greater demand for foods higher in fat.

In the mid-2000s, frozen yogurt regained its popularity. Powder-based yogurt mixes were invented, which helped with the popularity in the United States, but also made frozen yogurt more accessible to countries that hadn't had it. Pinkberry opened in 2005; they started serving an extra tart soft-serve frozen yogurt, and quickly became popular. Yogurtland opened the first self-serve frozen yogurt shop in 2006, where patrons could make their own yogurt creations with many different toppings. Many other self-serve yogurt shops soon opened. Today, some of the most popular frozen yogurt brands are TCBY, Menchie's, Yogurtland, sweetFrog, and Red Mango.

How to Observe National Frozen Yogurt Day

Celebrate by eating frozen yogurt! Buy some at a store, make your own, or go to a frozen yogurt shop. There are many brands of frozen yogurt you could try, although TCBY is an ideal choice since they created today's holiday. Check with your local shops for any deals in honor of the day. Try different kinds and add various toppings—making a sundae is a great idea since the holiday takes place on a Sunday.

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