Food

Batido

My father first introduced me to batido’s, or Cuban milkshakes; now of course, they are all the rage – renamed smoothies.  It was always such a treat when he would take the blender out, and casually add rather ordinary ingredients which would then become one of the most delicious and refreshing treats I know.  If summer is upon you, break out the blender!

They can be made with any fresh fruit or frozen fruit pulp, sold in the Latin American section of the grocery store.  I remember sitting in the home of a family, who had recently come from Cuba, and watching as the lady of the house prepared a milkshake for us, using an entire can of sweet and condensed milk, which was the first time I had seen that used.  She served the banana shakes with soda crackers and butter.  It was delicious, and very touching.  We had played a very small role in helping them to resettle in America, and she was offering us the best that she could imagine and manage.

Ingredients:

2 cups of fruit

Sugar to taste – about ¼ of a cup for a full blender

A teaspoon of Vanilla

½ to 1 cup of Milk or ½ and ½

1 cup of Ice

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients in the blender, making sure to the crush ice, pulsate for a few minutes, and serve.

Fruits:

Mamey, guanabana, (sour sop pulp), mango, coconut, strawberry, papaya, parcha (passion fruit) guayaba (guava) are all sold in the frozen food sections.  You can also make the shakes with non tropical fruit, like peaches or blueberries.  The tropical fruits may be an acquired taste.  Mamey is my favorite.  Top with whipped cream, if you like and garnish with fresh fruits if serving for a special occasion.

This entry was posted on May 8, 2012 at 12:44 am and is filed under Food, SlideShow, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.