Big breakfasts are not the custom in Cuba, but Cuban families often start out the morning with a nourishing fresh fruit batido. Though she lives in Colorado, Cuban-American cook Barbara Trujillo likes to make breakfast batidos for her four children. Mamey colorado (red mamey sapote), a large, sweet tropical fruit with beautiful orange pulp, is very popular in Cuba and south Florida. It is too fragile to be widely distributed outside of Florida, but several sources in the Miami area ship the frozen puree to customers all over the United States. Barbara is lucky: Her in-laws in Florida keep her freezer in Colorado well stocked with mamey from their backyard!

Of course, batidos are made with many different fruits; if you can’t get mamey, substitute other tropical fruits, like papayas, mangoes, or bananas, that are more widely available in supermarket produce departments. The proportions may change a bit, depending upon the sweetness and density of the fruit, but the recipe is basically the same. For a special treat, try substituting vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt for the ice.