A smoothie (occasionally spelled smoothee or smoothy) is a thick, cold beverage made from pureed raw fruit, and sometimes vegetables. Smoothies are often blended with other ingredients such as water, crushed ice, fruit juice, sweeteners (e.g. honey, sugar, stevia, syrup), dairy products (e.g. milk, yogurt, or cottage cheese, whey powder), plant milk, nuts, nut butter, seeds, tea, chocolate, herbal supplements, or nutritional supplements. A smoothie containing dairy products is similar to a milkshake, though the latter typically contains less fruit and often contains ice cream or frozen yogurt.
Video Smoothie
Health
The healthfulness of a smoothie depends on its ingredients and their proportions. Many smoothies include large servings of fruits and vegetables which are recommended in a healthful diet. However, too many sweet fruits and fruit juices can lead to too much sugar. Similarly, ingredients such as protein powders, sweeteners, or ice cream are often used in smoothie recipes, but are not necessarily healthful.
Smoothies include dietary fiber (e.g. pulp, often also skin and seeds) and so are thicker than fruit juice, with a consistency similar to a milkshake. The fiber makes smoothies more healthful than fruit juice alone. Smoothies--particularly green smoothies (which include vegetables)--are often marketed to health-conscious people, for example as a healthier alternative to milkshakes.
Maps Smoothie
Green smoothies
Green smoothies typically consist of 40-50% green vegetables--usually raw leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, swiss chard, collard greens, celery, parsley, or broccoli--with the remaining ingredients being mostly or entirely fruit. Most green leafy vegetables are bitter when served raw, but this can be ameliorated by certain vegetables (e.g. baby spinach is almost flavourless) or fruit (e.g. banana softens both the flavour and texture).
Green smoothies have been growing rapidly in popular culture since the early 2000s. Some blender manufacturers now specifically target their products towards making green smoothies and provide a booklet of green smoothie recipes.
Around the world
Smoothies have become increasingly popular worldwide since the 1990s, due in part to being factory-produced (usually in bottles), enabling them to be sold via supermarkets and other mass-market outlets. However, they have a much longer history in various countries.
United States
Health food stores on the West Coast of the United States began selling smoothies in the 1930s, thanks to the invention of the electric blender. The actual term "smoothie" was in use in recipes and trademarks by the mid-1930s.
By the late 1960s, smoothies were widely sold across the US by ice cream vendors as well as health food stores. They were mainly made from fruit, fruit juice, and ice, though from the early 1970s, ice milk was sometimes added to create the "fruit shake".
In 1973, Steve Kuhnau founded Smoothie King. He set up numerous smoothie bars across the United States and popularized adding ingredients such as vitamins and protein powder into the smoothies. As smoothies became more popular and prominent, large companies decided to make pre-bottled smoothies and sell them in supermarkets.
Bangladesh
Borhani is a type of spicy yogurt smoothie made in Bangladesh. Borhani is made with spices like ginger powder, black salt, green chilies, and ground black pepper, as well as the leaves of herbs such as mint or coriander. Bangladeshi generally drink Borhani after eating lunch and dinner, and it is sometimes served at weddings or important ceremonies.
Other countries
Many types of smoothies are found in Indian, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cuisine. Fruit sharbats (a popular West and South Asian drink) typically include yogurt and honey. In India, the mango lassi is a smoothie or milkshake comprising crushed ice, yogurt, and sometimes sugar; in South India, pineapple smoothies using crushed ice and sugar (without yogurt) are more popular. Smoothies are also mixed with soft drinks or alcohol to make cocktails.
See also
- Ayran
- Blaster Bates (drink)
- Chaas
- Doogh
- Health shake
- Kumis
- Lassi
- Milkshake
- List of beverages
- List of dairy products
- List of fruit dishes
- List of yogurt-based dishes and beverages
References
Further reading
- O'Brian, Betty Sue (2009). Going Green the Smoothie Way. ISBN 0-578-02306-7.
- Smith, JJ (2014). 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse. Atria Books. ISBN 978-1501100109.
External links
- Smoothie at Curlie (based on DMOZ)
Source of article : Wikipedia
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