Vitamina

Vitamina is a delicious and wholesome drink that is made by mixing and pureeing fruit in a blender. In English, it would be called milkshake or smoothy. Milk (vitamina de leite ) or orange juice (vitamina de laranja ) is added to make it more liquid. The combination of fruit depends on the season and on the taste of the cook.

Vitaminas are often drunk at breakfast or as a snack. For Brazilians, vitaminas are part of the everyday routine and it is probably for this reason that these drinks are simply forgotten by many resources on Brazilian cuisine.

Some recipes:

Vitamina de Goiaba (Vitamina of Guava)
Mix 100 gr (3.5 oz) of guava , 3 spoons of condensed milk, 150 ml (0.31 pints) of water, some drops of lime juice and mint to taste. Mix and puree in a blender. Serve directly in a large glass.

Vitamina de Abacate (Vitamina of Avocado)
Unlike other Latin-Americans, Brazilians do not eat avocado with salt but with sugar! Vitamina de Abacate is a delicous, Brazilian way to use avocado.

Peel a small advocado, remove the seed and cut it in small cubes. Mix and puree with ½ liter (2.1 pints) of milk and sugar to taste in a blender. This is enough for two large glasses. Serve directly.

Vitamina de Mamão e Laranja (Vitamina of Papaya and Orange)
Put 1 cup of papaya, ½ cup of orange juice, 1 cup of milk, a few drops of lime juice and sugar to taste in a blender. Mix and puree and serve directly in two large glasses.

Vitamina de Açaí (Vitamina of Açaí)
Native to the Amazon rainforest, the açaí berries have become tremendously popular in other Brazilian regions in a short period. The açaí palm grows well on farms outside the Amazon region and it is probably a matter of time until this wonderful fruit becomes available outside Brazil.

Vitamina de Açai is made by mixing açaí berries, sugar, cassava (manioc) flour and milk to taste in a blender. Serve directly.