Batidos

Batidos are tropical fruit shakes consisting of crushed ice, fruit, a sweetener, and milk or water. The ingredients can be blended with ice or served over crushed ice. Typical fruits include banana, guava, mamey, pineapple, sweetsop, papaya, mango, passion fruit, and tamarind. Derived from the Spanish word meaning “to beat,” these light, frothy drinks originated as thirst quenchers in tropical climates. In the early twenty-first century, batidos are becoming popular in the United States wherever there are large Latin American and Caribbean immigrant communities.