Who Invented Frozen Yogurt?

Trendy foods come and go like the wind, but in the early 2000s, an icy concoction swept the nation like never before, dotting the map with sleek storefronts packed full of tangy, self-serve goodness and DIY topping bars. Frozen yogurt — or fro-yo, as it's affectionately called — became a cultural phenomenon. Though it may seem similar to soft serve, frozen yogurt owes its popularity to its marketing as a healthier (but no less delicious) dessert option. Since it's made with a yogurt base, frozen yogurt may contain probiotics, which can help your gut. While the fro-yo craze may be synonymous with the 21st century, the frozen yogurt story goes back over 45 years, marked by one company's creative culinary vision.

In the early 1970s, the New York City-based luxury department store Bloomingdale's was seeking a brand-new frozen dessert to sell that, unlike ice cream, was low in fat. Naturally, it turned to one of the most prominent dairy producers of the Northeast, the HP Hood company. Founded in Charlestown, Massachusetts, in 1846, the company (now known simply as Hood) is a New England icon, specializing in milk, sour cream, ice cream, and many other dairy-based products. Upon request, HP Hood created "Frogurt," which was the first frozen yogurt to ever be sold commercially in the United States. Nowadays, Hood still manufactures frozen yogurt in several flavors, though it's no longer branded as "Frogurt."

Though the HP Hood company was the first to create a commercialized frozen yogurt product, it certainly wouldn't be the last. In 1978, Boston-based ice cream shop Brigham's, which is also rumored to be where jimmies (an ice cream topping similar to sprinkles) were created, introduced "Humphreez Yogart," the first packaged frozen yogurt on store shelves. Around that same time, Dannon, one of America's most recognizable yogurt brands, sold raspberry-flavored frozen yogurt pops, complete with a chocolate coating. In the '80s and '90s, frozen yogurt enjoyed success across the country, making up around 10% of the market for frozen desserts at one point, according to Frozen Dessert Supplies.

It wouldn't be until the early aughts that frozen yogurt exploded in its biggest wave of popularity yet. New-age fro-yo companies, such as the Los Angeles-based Pinkberry, began to appear, with an ever-expansive list of frozen yogurt toppings that turned a simple dessert into a must-do social outing. Not only did the format change, but companies around the country introduced new, refined flavors, complementing the yogurt's natural tang rather than masking its flavor to be purely an ice cream dupe.

Additionally, the rise of smartphones and social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram allowed savvy fro-yo enjoyers to share their colorful creations online, further fueling the nationwide obsession for all things fro-yo. While the treat has gone much further than New England today, we can thank the region for producing one of our most beloved summertime desserts.