Pass on Pinkberry - Give Me Red Mango
Sunday, June 1, 2008 15:00
So the fro-yo craze is still going strong in L.A. It seems like there is a Pinkberry, Red Mango, Ce Fiore, or a “Fakeberry” just about everywhere. I enjoy the occasional Pinkberry, but I never really jumped on board this trend… until now. I finally gave Red Mango a chance, and I am now a fan.
Red Mango differs from the other popular frozen yogurt places in one very important fact. It really is frozen yogurt. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration doesn’t appear to really have a definition for frozen yogurt, so the National Yogurt Association stepped in and developed its own Live & Active Cultures seal. The live and active cultures are what converts pasteurized milk to yogurt, and they are the source of the benefits to eating yogurt. For a frozen yogurt manufacturer to get the seal, there must be at least 10 million cultures per gram at the time the frozen yogurt is made. For a while, Red Mango was the only one of the popular chains that had the seal. It seems Pinkberry may have changed its recipe because about 2 months ago, it was also awarded the seal.
So why do I prefer Red Mango over Pinkberry? They offer similar toppings, such as mango, strawberry, coconut, granola, and various cereal. The difference is definitely in the frozen yogurt itself. Red Mango’s frozen yogurt is a little tarter than Pinkberry’s. It is also much creamier. In fact, it was creaminess of Red Mango’s frozen yogurt that actually made me a fan. While I enjoyed the strawberries, mangoes, and honey with my original flavored frozen yogurt, I think I could have eaten it without any toppings because the texture was close to ice cream. Pinkberry, on the other hand, makes frozen yogurt that is slightly gritty. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I much prefer the creamy texture. I am a bit embarrassed to admit this, but I will go ahead an confess that I like Red Mango so much that I actually joined its fanpage on facebook. In all fairness, I haven’t been to Pinkberry since their recipe changed, so I’m just making a comparison to my past experiences there. I hear from a couple friends that they don’t taste a difference between the old and new Pinkberry recipes. In fact, they weren’t even aware that Pinkberry has now been awarded with the National Yogurt Association seal. If any readers can taste a difference, please leave a comment about your thoughts on the current recipe. Of course, Red Mango fans are encouraged to comment.
Red Mango
Locations can be found on their website
By Pauline (see more of her posts).
judeslovessushi says:
June 1st, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Red Mango is the best!!! And yes, there is a difference between the old and new Pinkberry recipe-it tastes creamier, almost the same thick creamy consistency as Red Mango, but I think it may be a bit more tart than Red Mango…at least in my opinion, and I do eat both quite a lot!
Eileen says:
June 1st, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Pinkberry is sriously popping up everywhere… just like Starbucks now.
I haven’t tried Red Mango because I haven’t seen one….
Hmmm, maybe I should find one and give it a try soon.
Jonah says:
June 2nd, 2008 at 8:39 am
I happened to try Red Mango last week up in Palo Alto. I assume that the prices are the same everywhere, but it seemed more expensive than Pinkberry. It was $2.95 for a small and $1 for each topping. I asked for blueberries and I think she put about 9 berries on top. I started to leave, but decided to ask if I could have a few more berries for my $1. They did oblige.
I agree that it is creamier and less icy than Pinkberry, but I think that Pinkberry’s fruit (at least comparing Palo Alto Red Mango and LA Pinkberrys) is much fresher and tastier.
Pauline says:
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Judy - Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the new Pinkberry recipe.
Eileen - I hope you try Red Mango soon! When you do, let me know what you think. :)
Jonah - Slight correction on the topping price. It’s $1 for one topping, $1.25 for two toppings, or $1.50 for three toppings. If you get the three toppings, then it averages out to $.50 per topping. You are right about Pinkberry’s toppings looking fresher.
H.C. says:
June 10th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Haven’t actually tried a Red Mango yet, but I already appreciate that its ingredient list is much less scary than PinkBerry’s. For now, CeFiore & Golden Spoons are my faves.
CJ says:
July 8th, 2008 at 8:10 am
I have tried both and, I still think Pinkberry is way better. Red Mango’s fruit were not fresh at all, and more expensive! Pinkberry tastes better, has more fresh fruit, more locations, and a little cheaper.
Pauline says:
July 12th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
HC - I look forward to hearing what you think after you try a Red Mango. :)
CJ - I think Red Mango’s fruit is fresh, but Pinkberry’s does seem fresher. I will say, however, that Red Mango offers honey as one of its toppings, which Pinkberry doesn’t. As for price, Red Mango is not more expensive than Pinkberry. If you see my previous comment, Red Mango’s topping averages out to $0.50 per topping if you choose 3 of them. I believe that is about the same as what Pinkberry charges.
Susan says:
July 18th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Sat out the Pinkberry craze until this week as I am not big on lines - was not impressed. It didn’t taste like yogurt and was gritty, like sherbert with ice crystals. Odd taste that was not the tartness that one gets from yogurt. Then tried Red Mango later same week - 10X better! I think the whole freshness of the toppings issue some noted might just be that store at that particular time. The Red Mango I went to, everything looked great.
Not bothering with Pinkberry, Red Mango has my vote. It’s actual yogurt and the taste proves it.
Kweli says:
August 21st, 2008 at 4:13 pm
I’ve tried them both and it’s Pinkberry … hands down … but Red Mango will do nicely when you can’t get to Crackberry.
In all fairness, the texture of either depends on the particular franchise. I’ve had gritty and smooth from both Red Mango and Pinkberry.
Pauline says:
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Susan - Yay! Glad you enjoyed Red Mango!
Kweli - I agree that one’s fro-yo experience may vary by store, but I have to say that out of the 4 different Red Mango locations I’ve been to, not once did I get gritty fro-yo. They were all very creamy. I’ve been to 5 Pinkberry stores, and some were grittier than others.
ali sherman says:
September 7th, 2008 at 11:46 am
I found Red Mango on 6th Ave in NY and couldn’t get enough of it. Last week I was in California and saw Red Mango and had it everyday I was in Laguna Beach. My problem is that I live in Boca Raton Fl and we don’t have Red Mango here. Please, please come to Florida. I love, love , love Red Mango. It’s my favorite food!!!!!
Maggie says:
August 15th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
I loooove Reg Mango Since I live downtown in Chicago theres a Red Mango right in the corner I tryed Pinkberry before for the first time but didnt like it at all it was really gritty and somehow sour The fruit and toppings werent fresh that day either But I love Red Mango Much creamier than Pinkberry and Has a way better taste too and They were nice enough to throw on a couple more strawberries for me no charge! :)
Valery Kessner says:
September 2nd, 2010 at 6:31 pm
Interesting. I might have to investigate this myself!