From The Vaults: Dannon Activia - Prune Flavor

[Note: I originally penned this review last year and never returned to this blog to post it. I have a few never published reviews that I'm going to post here today, and hopefully over the coming days, before I start posting anything new. Clearing out the vaults, so to speak. Many of these older posts might have special 2010 notes at the end indicating any additional comments I would like to make on the product.]

I've been on a yogurt kick recently. I've tried every multipack that begins with a 'yo,' as well as the always satisfying Breyer's and Yoplait single cups. But, when I read about the existence of prune flavored yogurt, I knew I needed to track it down.

I've always been saddened by prune's bad reputation. Prunes are rarely mentioned without a snicker or a knowing look. Sunsweet has tried to reinvent the prune's image many times, to the extent that it is often referred to as a 'dried plum' to distance itself from the stigma of its laxative reputation. Many seem to forget the rich, sweet flavor of the fruit and its moist and luxurious softness. To me, prunes have always been the candy of the fruit world. It's more satisfying and sweet than a similarly-sized piece of chocolate. I've loved everything about prunes since I was a child and have never been deterred by its reputation. Although, it is true: anyone with the slighted bit of digestive problems should be thrilled by the marriage of the Dannon Activia line with the utilitarian prune flavor.

And what a flavor! Dannon Activia Prune is unlike any yogurt I have ever had, and, after just one cup, I wondered why prune isn't used more prominently in the yogurt aisle (or any aisle, for that matter). The yogurt was thick and creamy with just the right amount of prune flavoring. It was a natural prune flavor; no cloying sweetness in this cup! The yogurt was also generously filled with tiny diced prunes which added a little more substance to the already thick texture. Overall, the yogurt was unusual and delicious. If prune were more widely available, it would easily replace lemon as my favorite yogurt flavor. I will definitely be buying Dannon Activia Prune again, and I highly recommend giving it a try!

What I Should Have Bought: Another 4 pack to go along with the first one!

(Originally written in 2009)

Update 2010: I still buy Dannon Activia Prune when I can find it. Dannon has expanded their Activia product line with the newer Fiber and Dessert varieties. All my local markets sell Activia, but only one sells prune. I often can't find it when I'm craving it, and I really thought that it had been discontinued. I managed to find it recently at Giant, and I bought several 4 packs to tide me over. I'm not interested in the other flavors or the newer varieties. I recently tried a blueberry flavor in the Activia Dessert line, but I didn't care for the flavor. It would be a shame if Dannon would discontinue the Activia Prune and keep these inferior flavors! Please don't stop making this, Dannon!!

What I Should Have Bought - Take 2

I began What I Should Have Bought last year as a log of some of the food items I had recently purchased. The overly pessimistic premise was that, new products would catch my eye, and I would purchase them, only to be ultimately disappointed. Then, I would suggest what I should have purchased instead. Frequently, that item would be either a pouch of dried figs or prunes, two of nature's best candies.

I didn't give this poor blog a fair shot before, but I'm hoping to resurrect it with a slightly different bent. While What I Should Have Bought 1.0 emphasized reviews of foodstuffs, WISHB 2.0 will include all sorts of items that I have purchased. Reviews will namely be for new and noteworthy products; items I have purchased that I really enjoyed; and/or items that, for whatever reason, I would like to criticize (whether because I didn't like the product itself or because of some specific aspect I want to discuss, e.g. packaging). It's very likely that I will even review certain extraordinary or extraordinarily awful restaurants, stores, and services: anything on which money is spent and people are dealt with. What I Should Have Bought: the answer will still probably be figs.