A blended fruit-and-milk smoothie, the everyday Argentine breakfast and on-the-go drink. Made with banana, strawberry or peach, milk and sugar, it is the liquid breakfast of busy porteños.
The licuado is the everyday breakfast drink of Argentina, a blended smoothie of fresh fruit, milk and sugar. Unlike the juice-focused licuados of Mexico or the yoghurt-based drinks of other countries, the Argentine version is a simple blend of milk, one or two fruits, and sugar, whizzed in a blender until thick and smooth. Banana is the most popular base, often combined with strawberry or peach. Sold in every café, it is the on-the-go breakfast of office workers and students in Buenos Aires, drunk quickly at a counter or carried in a cup. It is nutritious, cheap, and requires no chewing, which is why it is the morning fuel of the hurried Argentine.
Thick, cold, sweet and creamy, tasting intensely of whatever fruit is used, the milk giving body and the sugar sweetness. Drunk quickly through a straw, it is breakfast in a glass.
The technique is simply blending. Fresh fruit (banana, strawberry, peach or a combination) is combined with cold whole milk and sugar in a blender and whizzed until completely smooth, about 30 seconds. The proportion is roughly one banana or a handful of strawberries per 250ml of milk, with sugar to taste. Banana gives natural thickness; watery fruits like melon make a thinner drink. Some add a scoop of ice cream for extra richness, and some prefer water instead of milk for a lighter version. The drink is poured into a tall glass and drunk immediately, as it separates on standing. No ice is needed if the milk and fruit are cold.
Variations
Some use orange juice instead of milk. A version with oats is a fitness drink.
On the Palate
Where Licuado sits in the Argentinian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 2How it's made
5 steps · 5 min
- 13 min
Peel 2 ripe bananas; place in a blender with 500ml cold whole milk and 2 tbsp sugar.
- 22 min
Add a handful of fresh strawberries if liked.
- 33 min
Blend on high for 30 seconds until thick and completely smooth.
Watch outBlend on high just until thick and completely smooth, about 30 seconds — and drink it right away, it separates fast on standing.
- 42 min
Taste and add more sugar if needed.
- 52 min
Pour into 2 tall glasses; serve immediately with straws.
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