And Now, a Frozen Yogurt Made With Liquid Nitrogen

[Photographs: Niko Triantafillou]

How do you sell frozen yogurt when you don't have an ice cream maker? Easy—use liquid nitrogen.

No, this isn't the latest dessert at wd~50; it's from an unassuming food market with some great Mediterranean ingredients in Midtown East, Blue Olive.

Blue Olive's Frozen Greek Yogurt is made to order and starts at $5. Most toppings are decidedly Greek, such as honey pastel, a Greek candy made with honey and sesame, or spoon sweets, a preserve in which fruits (or vegetables) are cooked with sugar and molded into compact spheres.

For every order, Blue Olive puts two large scoops of Greek yogurt (from Kesso Foods in Queens) into a stand mixer, sets the beater running, and then pours half a pitcher of liquid nitrogen on top. In less than a minute you're eating frozen yogurt, much lighter and fluffier than store brands like Ben & Jerry's or Ciao Bella. And since the yogurt is unsweetened—there's no sugar or other additives—it's not cloying, either.

Crumbled Pistachios and Honey add sweetness and texture to the tart yogurt, a good contrast to the super-creamy full-fat yogurt and a welcome relief from skim milk Greek-style yogurts that keep popping up.

A reduced-fat 2% yogurt with Raspberries and 72% Dark Chocolate is also excellent. Despite the chocolate it's still quite tart; the raspberry adds more sweetness along with tart touches of its own.

The most interesting topping is a Crumbled Baklava that surprisingly doesn't turn soggy in the yogurt. Like the honey and pistachios, it adds crunch and sweetness. A touch of that chocolate would be a welcome addition, too.