Those who hadn’t heard of Red Mango before it appeared on State Street might be wondering: how is frozen yogurt any different from ice cream? Does it really taste that good? And why is my girlfriend so excited about it?

Here’s the scoop: while it is not exactly health food, frozen yogurt is still pretty healthy. Red Mango frozen yogurt is all-natural, nonfat, gluten-free and kosher. Even though it’s dessert, it actually tastes healthy. And it does seem sort of like a girl thing. During each of my visits — and there were several — the female:male ratio was about 20-to-1. Maybe all the guys were at Fat Sandwich?

Red Mango offers four soft-serve frozen yogurt flavors: Cocoa, a limited-time only flavor, Pomegranate (“the antioxidant superpower”), Original and Tangomonium. All of the flavors are tart and tangy, much like real yogurt — if you’re expecting something that tastes like ice cream, you won’t find it here. In addition to yogurt, Red Mango offers probiotic teas and frozen yogurt blenders.

The toppings make up for what the limited flavors lack in variety. Customers can choose from a wide selection of fresh fruit, including blueberry, pomegranate, kiwi and pineapple. Then, there’s the appropriately titled category of toppings called “fun and crunchy,” which includes Cocoa Pebbles, Cap’n Crunch, crushed Newman O’s, yogurt chips, shredded coconut and more.

The key to creating the perfect Red Mango concoction is texture — the chunkier, the better. Whether you mix the yogurt with fruit, cereal or cookie pieces, it tastes better with a bunch of stuff in it. The graham cracker crumbs are so finely crushed that they melt into the yogurt and disappear, defeating the purpose of paying 50 cents extra for a topping.

For a particularly tasty combination, ask for the Original and Cocoa flavors swirled together and topped with sliced almonds and crushed Newman O’s. Chocolate lovers, be warned: the Cocoa yogurt is not sweet, but the addition of a chocolate-y topping will bring out the flavor. And you can’t go wrong with an Original yogurt topped with Ghiradelli chocolate bits and any kind of fresh fruit.

The possibilities are endless. Some combinations are healthier than others — obviously, a small yogurt with fruit is better for you than a larger size topped with something “fun and crunchy,” but there’s not a truly sinful choice in the mix.

Unfortunately for fans of all things “fun and crunchy,” though, there’s no escaping the calorie count at Red Mango. On one hand, it’s like positive reinforcement for dessert lovers — you’re eating something (relatively) healthy! On the other hand, if you prefer your frozen yogurt covered in cookies, chocolate and nuts, the calorie counting gets kind of aggravating. Some of us just want to consume our desserts in blissful ignorance.

Everywhere you look inside the store, the Red Mango signage touts the health benefits of frozen yogurt. It’s difficult not to be skeptical — how can dessert possibly be that healthy? Apparently, Red Mango frozen yogurt is fortified with “friendly” bacteria, or probiotics. Probiotics promote a healthy digestive and immune system. So basically, your frozen confection is alive and crawling with bacteria.

To be exact, it’s crawling with 10 million live and active bacteria cultures per gram of yogurt, an achievement for which Red Mango received the first live and active cultures seal from the National Yogurt Association. It’s okay to chuckle, but don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it.

If you can stop counting calories and look past the scientific jargon, there’s no denying that Red Mango frozen yogurt tastes good. Among the brats, cheese curds and various other deep-fried snacks available on State Street, frozen yogurt fills a void. And, with its inviting, red-and-chocolate-brown d?cor, Red Mango is the perfect location for a low-key, low-budget Valentine’s Day date.

4 stars out of 5.