3 tropical smoothies to bring the Caribbean home
Hello there! If you’re unable to travel anywhere warm right now, the struggle will be real this winter. You might be wondering how to get your tropical fix. To help you out, here are 3 easy and delicious tropical smoothies to bring the Caribbean to you.
It’s your girl Esha here. And thanks for stopping by our blog, where we talk all about travel, food and the Caribbean Carnival culture.
I make a variation of these 3 smoothies year round, so I can always have a little sunshine in a glass 🙂
Let’s get to the tropical smoothies!
(1) Ode to Tobago smoothie
If you’ve never heard of Tobago, it’s the sister island of Trinidad, all the way at the bottom of the Caribbean chain of islands. One of the things that I remember about Tobago when I would visit my cousins there in the summer as a child was the fruits and how wonderfully fresh and sweet they were.
My fondest memories are climbing the various fruit trees in my great-aunt’s yard and picking mangoes, pomeracs and plums right off the tree. After the hard work of climbing, my reward was sitting on the verandah step, chowing down on that perfectly ripe mango, juice dripping off my chin and running down my arms!
Tobago is THE land of mangoes! During mango season, you can find all shapes and sizes – and they’re all good!
To me, this smoothie is Tobago in a glass. It has mango and papaya (called “paw paw” in Trinidad and Tobago). Just add some milk (I prefer non-dairy) and lime juice and you’re ready to go!
Ode to Tobago smoothie recipe
- 1 cup of cubed papaya (paw paw)
- 1/2 cup of cubed mango (frozen or fresh)
- 1 and 1/2 cups of milk of your choice (I use almond)
- Juice of 2 limes
- 1-2 teaspoons of sweetner of choice if desired (I typically don’t use sweetener. If I do, I’ll use 1 packet of stevia)
- Blend all ingredients until smooth
(2) Tropically gooooood smoothie
Ahhh, fresh, sweet pineapple and star fruit! I can just taste them now. To me, all fruit tastes better in the Caribbean and pineapples are no exception to the rule.
Even though I didn’t like star fruit as a child, I fell in love with it a few years ago during a visit to Tobago when it was in season. If you like the balance of sweet, sour and a slight bitter taste in the background, then star fruit (also known as 5 fingah) is for you!
The sweetness of the pineapple offsets the slightly sour and bitter taste of the star fruit perfectly in this smoothie. Use fresh pineapple if you can find it. A perfectly ripe and fresh pineapple tastes so much better than frozen or canned!
Tropically goooood smoothie recipe
- 1 cup of cubed pineapple (fresh or frozen)
- 1/2 cup of sliced star fruit (also known as 5 fingah, you don’t have to remove the seeds)
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
- 1 and 1/2 cups of milk of your choice (I prefer almond)
- 1-2 teaspoons of sweetner of choice if desired (I typically don’t use sweetener. If I do, I’ll use 1 packet of stevia)
- Blend all ingredients until smooth
(3) Papaya madness
I have to admit, I think my love of fruits is genetic! My mom loves fruits. She loves fruits so much that she would eat them all day if she could. When mangoes are in season in Tobago, she’ll sit with a few mangoes in front of her for breakfast. When watermelons are in season, that will be lunch.
And papayas aren’t immune from her (or me for that matter!) When we’re able to get them here at our local grocery store, I’m as happy as pappi! This tropical smoothie came out of that love for “paw paw”. Hope you like it!
Ever tried papaya in your tropical smoothie? Give our Papaya Madness smoothie a try today!
Papaya madness smoothie recipe
- 1 cup of cubed papaya (also known as paw paw)
- 1/2 cup of cubed pineapple (fresh or frozen)
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (trust me, it works)
- 1 and 1/2 cups of milk of your choice (I prefer almond)
- 1-2 teaspoons of sweetner of choice if desired (I typically don’t use sweetener. If I do, I’ll use 1 packet of stevia)
- Blend all ingredients until smooth
Hope you try these tropical smoothies!
If reading this has you ready to travel to warmer climes, then why not join us in the Caribbean at a date in the future? For more info visit our website, click here.
And leave me a comment below: which tropical smoothie do you think will be your favourite? Ode to Tobago, Tropically goooood or Papaya madness?
As always…
Til de next lime,
Esha
About Esha: As an event planner with over 20 years of experience (whose been to 5 out of the 7 continents), Esha’s helped professional women who don’t have the time, energy, or resources to plan their own vacations so they can travel and enjoy unique, life-changing Caribbean experiences. You can call us at (919) 697-8772 or click the links below to learn more!