Having introduced the concept of frozen yoghurt to Sri Lanka, YoMo has cornered the market on this healthy dessert from a central spot at Colombo’s World Trade Centre. Zara Weerasekera gives us an excuse to indulge in this guiltless treat as she reveals plans to spread the goodness.
Words Nadiyah Akram Photographs Indika De Silva
A tropical paradise such as Sri Lanka is a frozen yoghurt maker’s dream destination, yet none had made its way here until Zara Weerasekera returned to Sri Lanka from the USA and founded her frozen yoghurt store in April last year. A stickler for quality, it didn’t take her long to source the perfect ingredients to offer the Sri Lankan consumer premium quality frozen yoghurt in as many as seventeen flavours and twenty two toppings. Fittingly, she branded her product YoMo, an abbreviation for ‘More Yoghurt.’
YoMo’s frozen yoghurt is directly imported from Frosty Boy Australia, for whom YoMo are the sole agents in Sri Lanka. They offer two varieties of soft serve yoghurt, the creamier Nova Yoghurt and Yo Frost, which interestingly though less creamy, contains marginally more calories than its heavier counterpart, making the choice a matter of taste. The flavours are sourced from Australia and USA, guaranteeing consistency in standards.
Stepping out for a dose of YoMo is a delicious dessert idea and a healthier alternative to ice cream. The manufacturing process ensures the preservation of live active cultures, spoonsful of vitamins and calcium. But what does this really mean? Ongoing research points positively towards live and active culture yoghurt preventing gastrointestinal infections, lowering cholesterol, boosting the body’s immune system, fighting certain types of cancer and preventing osteoporosis. Sound too good to be true? There’s only one way to find out.
YoMo’s more indulgent toppings will not tip the calorie scale much… But will tip the happiness scale instead
For those choosing frozen yoghurt for its health benefits, be wise about it. Adding larger fruit as a topping will make a serving seem more fulfilling. YoMo offers fresh strawberries, peach slices, pineapple rings, mango slices and cherries, all of which complement a helping of frozen yoghurt perfectly. Their wholesome breakfast meal in a cup includes granola with frozen yoghurt and fruit, another great way of filling up on all the right food groups.
Still, throwing caution to the wind and ordering YoMo’s more indulgent toppings will not tip the calorie scale much, considering the energy content of no more than 120 calories per 100 grams of frozen yoghurt. Liquid toppings to choose from include chocolate, caramel, strawberry, blueberry, mango, passion fruit and kiwi. To add some crunch YoMo offers honey bunches of roasted oats, almonds, Oreo cookies, Fruit Loops, Gummy Bears, M&Ms, milk crispy pearls and other toppings that will tip the happiness scale instead.
Between Nova Yoghurt and Yo Frost both, a 100 gram serving consists of an insignificant 1.8 grams of fat making YoMo’s 98 percent fat-free claim well within its bounds. Sugar content is capped at 19.5 and 20.1 grams respectively. The Nova range is offered in plain, tropical blue, passion fruit, blackberry, raspberry and lime lemon. The creamier Yo Frost range is available in vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, coffee, mango, caramel, coconut, cotton candy pink, Kahlua, banana and pistachio. Zara explains that unlike with ice cream, the choice of flavour has no bearing on the calorie content of the frozen yoghurt as they are just that – flavours, pure and unsweetened.
On any given day four base flavours are dispensed from the two impeccably maintained machines which also dispenses a combination of two flavours on request. The flavours are rotated on a weekly basis for variety. YoMo’s soft serve dessert can be enjoyed in a cup, waffle cone or regular cone. Deliveries are made without charge within Colombo Fort for a minimum order of five cups.
Zara is keen for customers to understand the distinction of the YoMo brand and of the benefits of frozen yoghurt in general. Her involvement in the business, from manning the counter in person at the inception to personally handling the mixing each time and ensuring minimal handling from start to end gives her absolute confidence in the safety and quality of her product.
Zara has received several requests to cater at international schools who are keen on offering children a healthier alternative to snack on. She has also catered for weddings, birthday parties and events.
As the concept of eating frozen yoghurt catches on locally, one cannot help but notice many a customer stop by and place an order for a scoop of chocolate or strawberry ‘ice cream’ at the YoMo store. With the new outlet opening at Odel this month, Zara expects increased awareness in addition to fresh consumer segments amongst the shoppers in Colombo which will include tourists who are likely already aware of the product.
Ground Floor, West Tower,
World Trade Centre, Colombo 1
Tel: (+94 11) 524 4002
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