There was a virus, maybe, or something in the water this summer that spurred a rash of new frozen yogurt businesses in Utah County.

At least five new frozen yogurt vendors have set up shop in the last few months -- in some cases, just down the street from one another. It's like everyone had the same big idea at the same time and for the same place.

It turns out that frozen yogurt is a pretty good idea, especially for your intestines. Lynn Ogden, a nutrition professor at Brigham Young University who has studied yogurt enough to have created a brand of carbonated yogurt, said the live, active cultures in yogurt can help our intestines function properly.

"There's mountains of evidence that those probiotic cultures are good for us, good for our digestive tract," Ogden said. "They compete with the less-desirable organisms that are in our lower intestines and make a more-healthful environment for us there."

But not all yogurts are created equal. Becky Low, vice president of the Dairy Council of Utah and Nevada, said frozen yogurt can range from something nearly indistinguishable from soft-serve ice cream to something plain, unflavored and tart. The tartness probably comes from lactic acid, Ogden said, which is formed from the milk's sugars as the yogurt congeals.

Fat and sugar content may also vary widely, though they are generally lower in frozen yogurt than in ice cream. But at least some sweetener is necessary to create a palatable product.

"When the food is cold you don't taste the sugar as much," Low said. "If you want a sweeter taste, it usually has extra sugar added to compensate for the cold."

To help you find your way through the Summer of Yogurt with more grace than a chocolate-vanilla twist, the Daily Herald visited four of the new restaurants and sampled the wares. Use these reviews to plan your next yogurt fix, or tell us what you think of the new places by posting a comment on this article at www.heraldextra.com.

Yoasis

• Where: 1235 S. University Ave., Provo

• Hours: 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday

• Prices: $2.75-$5.25

• Info: 373-0358 or www.yoasisparadise.com

• The scoop: Yoasis serves one flavor of frozen yogurt -- plain -- which can be enhanced with any of a dozen toppings. The yogurt is rather like a smooth, frozen version of the plain variety you can buy at the store. It's tart and has little flavor of its own. But combine it with some fresh, finely chopped kiwi, or blueberries and granola, or fruity pebbles (if that's your style) and you've got something you won't want to share. You pick which size you want (mini, regular or large) and how many toppings ($1 for the first, 25 cents for each additional).

Yoasis itself is just a yogurt machine behind a small counter displaying the toppings. But it is housed in The Corner, which also contains a Hogi Yogi and Teriyaki Stix. The interior is furnished with a few couches and armchairs and several tables. There are even a few places to sit outside.

Here's something we learned by experience -- ask your server to put the toppings in the cup first, then add the frozen yogurt. Otherwise, the yogurt fills the cup and the toppings spill over the sides.

Spoon Me

• Where: 150 W. Bulldog Blvd., Provo

• Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Friday-Saturday

• Prices: $3.75-$6

• Info: 373-1131 or www.spoonme.com

• The scoop: We're pretty sure there are other yogurty-sounding names that don't also have other connotations, but one thing's for sure -- Spoon Me is memorable. It serves three flavors of frozen yogurt (natural, acai and green tea) that can be supplemented with several toppings, including Cap'n Crunch cereal, if you wish. We liked the acai (made with a tropical berry high in antioxidants and other healthy stuff) mixed with granola and the natural with fresh fruits or berries, and we weren't brave enough to try the green tea flavor. Your yogurt comes in three sizes (baby, half or full) or made into a smoothie, and you can get up to three toppings for a fixed price. The full and smoothie cup sizes were so large we think you would order one only if you were sharing or having yogurt for dinner.

Spoon Me has set up a bunch of hip furniture around its brightly colored interior. There are stools around high tables, chairs around lower ones, and couches near even lower ones. There's a disco ball in the corner, and apparently the restaurant brings in a DJ occasionally. It seemed like a nice place to hang out and chat while spooning. Your yogurt, we mean.

We should also note that Spoon Me serves yogurt in biodegradable containers and you eat it with a biodegradable spoon. A nice environmental touch.

Frozen Yogurt Junction

• Where: 218 W. State Road #8, American Fork

• Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday

• Prices: 38 cents per ounce

• Info: 763-8203

• The scoop: Six flavors and maybe a score of toppings meet at this yogurt junction in whichever combination you like. Frozen Yogurt Junction lets customers pick out a cup (or a waffle cone or bowl for an extra 50 cents), fill it with whichever flavors and amounts of frozen yogurt they desire, then pile on however many toppings they like. The cashier weighs the whole creation and charges 38 cents per ounce.

This is a welcome approach to frozen desserts. Many times we have longed for just an extra spoonful or two, just another little drizzle of hot fudge, or not quite so many chocolate chips. The junction claims, "You'll like it because you make it," and they're right. Just be sure to check out all the flavor and topping options before you make a decision. There's nothing worse than seeing peanut butter cups (our favorite) in the toppings aisle when you've got a bowl full of fruity yogurts. Should have gone with Butter Brickle or Chocolate, maybe.

The yogurt here is sweet and flavored, not unlike soft-serve ice cream, though there was one variety called Plain Tart that we didn't try. There are maybe four tables and a couch inside, and another couple of tables outside. A small sign on the sidewalk displays the day's flavors, which change regularly, so you can browse them on your way past.

Hello Yogurt

• Where: 376 E. University Pkwy., Orem

• Hours: Noon-midnight Monday-Saturday, 2-11 p.m. Sunday

• Prices: 38 cents per ounce

• Info: 802-7888 or helloyogurt.com

• The scoop: Same process here as at Frozen Yogurt Junction, with a few more toppings. Flavors on a recent day included NY Cheesecake, Raspberry, Chocolate and Green Tea. Again, though there was a plain-tart flavor of yogurt, most varieties were sweet and flavored. We loved the cheesecake flavor most, but all flavors we tried were rich and tasty.

There are no tables at Hello Yogurt, just couches and chairs for lounging. There's a flat-screen TV in one corner, and some customers were taking in the Olympics during a recent visit. The couches are extra comfy and there's enough ambient noise that you don't feel like everyone else is listening in on your conversation.

Your biggest problem here will be deciding what to get. Our guess is some people's eyes will be bigger than their stomachs, and other people will wish they had tried a more favorable combination. No matter, just head back to the pile of cups, fill 'er up and weigh in.

Coming soon:

Red Mango

297 E. University Pkwy., Orem

Another of the tart yogurt vendors, with plain and green tea varieties, not unlike Spoon Me or Yoasis.

YoZone

1286 N. Freedom Blvd., Provo

Another self-service yogurt shop, this time reportedly with eight flavors and charging 36 cents per ounce.