Licuados (also known regionally as batidos) are a

Latin American Latin Americans (; ) are the citizenship, citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their Latin American diaspora, diasporas are Metroethnicity, ...

handmade blended beverage similar to

smoothie A smoothie is a beverage made by puréeing ingredients in a blender. A smoothie commonly has a liquid base, such as fruit juice or milk, yogurt or ice cream. Other ingredients may be added, including fruits, vegetables, non-dairy milk, cru ...

s, made with milk, fruit, and usually ice. They are also sometimes called "preparados" (meaning "prepared"). Licuados and other fresh fruit juice drinks are ubiquitous throughout

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. They are sold by

street vendors A hawker is a vendor of merchandise that can be easily transported; the term is roughly synonymous with costermonger or peddler. In most places where the term is used, a hawker sells inexpensive goods, handicrafts, or food items. Whether stationa ...

, and in special licuado shops, restaurants, and fruterias (restaurants specializing in fresh fruit).

Terminology and variations

Licuados ("blendeds" or "liquifieds" in Spanish) are among a larger category of fruit drinks made with fruit juice diluted with milk or water: ''jugos'' (juice), ''vitaminas'', ''

aguas frescas ''Aguas frescas'' () or ''frescos'' or ''aguas'', are light non-alcoholic beverages made from one or more fruits, cereals, flowers, or seeds blended with sugar and water. They are popular in many Latin American countries, as well as parts ...

'' (juice mixed with sugar and water), ''refrescos'' (nonalcoholic carbonated soft drinks), and ''batidos''. Names for various types of shakes and smoothies vary regionally, and are not completely fixed. By contrast with aguas frescas, which are made in advance and ladled from large jars, and other drinks such as refrescos and jugos, which are typically mass-produced and bottled, licuados are blended and made to order. The main difference between a licuado and an American-style smoothie is that licuados use a

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...

base, whereas smoothies use

fruit juice Juice is a drink made from the extraction or pressing of the natural liquid contained in fruit and vegetables. It can also refer to liquids that are flavored with concentrate or other biological food sources, such as meat or seafood, such ...

, sometimes in combination with sherbet or

yogurt Yogurt (; , from , ; also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial Fermentation (food), fermentation of milk. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to ...

. This makes them lower in calories, thinner, and higher in protein than most smoothies, especially important in the developing state of many of the Latin American countries such as Honduras and Nicaragua. Licuados may also contain nuts (such as almonds or walnuts) and sugar or honey. Variants include adding granola or using chocolate instead of fruit. Versions with raw egg fruit and milk, Americanized version substitute fruit with milk flavorings such as (quik). Sometimes batidos (loosely meaning "beaten") are said to have milk, with licuados described as a milk-free version. The term "batido" is described by some as Cuban. Different flavors of licuados or batidos have specific names, usually named after their ingredients. For example, a "trigo" (Spanish for "wheat") or "batido de trigo" is a batido with puffed wheat or other cooked grains blended in.

Popularity outside Latin America

Licuados became popular in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

in the 1990s during a period of immigration from Latin American countries. By 1996 the drink had arrived in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, where it was sold by street vendors. Already popular in border towns such as

Tijuana Tijuana is the most populous city of the Mexican state of Baja California, located on the northwestern Pacific Coast of Mexico. Tijuana is the municipal seat of the Tijuana Municipality, the hub of the Tijuana metropolitan area and the most popu ...

(where they are a breakfast food) the drink spread to California, first among Mexican-Americans and at Mexican restaurants and

food truck A food truck is a large motorized vehicle (such as a van or multi-stop truck) or trailer equipped to store, transport, cook, prepare, serve and/or sell food. Some food trucks, such as ice cream trucks, sell frozen or prepackaged food, but m ...

s. In 2002, the California Milk Processor Board spent $1.5 million to popularize the drink, as a way of promoting milk consumption following their success with the '' Got Milk?'' campaign.

Equivalent drinks

A similar drink, called ' in Vietnam, is popular in

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

References

{{Reflist, 2 Non-alcoholic drinks South American cuisine Mexican drinks Cuban drinks