I really enjoy smoothie drinks, as do many other people. They can be very tasty, sometimes quite healthy, and are great both on the go or when you have time to sit down and enjoy a drink. These terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference that can be very important. These are some of the main differences.
A Milkshake is a sweet and cold drink and as the name implies, it contains milk. It also contains ice cream and may contain flavorings such as fruit concentrate or chocolate, which can also be used to sweeten the drink. No one is claiming that shakes have any health benefits, just that they taste great!
Normally in most good restaurants they are prepared by hand. The ingredients are mixed and shaken by hand. Fast food restaurants may use a mixer machine to mix a flavored premix. Actually, there are many variants, for example a “malt” that uses malted milk. In some countries like England and Australia, they are often made without ice cream.
A Frappe is simply a thick milkshake, and the term seems more common in New England. They are often flavored with coffee and are called coffee punches.
Originally, in the 1880s through the early 1900s, shakes contained alcohol. You will rarely see one of those today, and if you do, the term shake is not used.
A Smoothie is similar to a milkshake, in fact, there isn’t necessarily a clear delineation, but some drinks clearly fall into one camp or the other. Here are the important differences.
Shakes are much more likely to contain fruit, protein powder, herbal supplements, vegetables, and green tea. They are often touted as healthy, and in fact many may be, while a smoothie is quite the treat. They will often contain yogurt instead of milk. They are sometimes used as meal replacements for weight loss or as food supplements for weight gain among bodybuilders. The term originated in the 1960s to describe fruit and vegetable drinks.
Some drinks can clearly fall into any of the fields. For example, after my weightlifting workout today, I had a cold smoothie made with soy protein powder, a banana, milk, some strawberries, crushed ice, and some ice cream as well. You can call it what you want, but it was delicious and nutritious.
These days, most people make these styles of drinks at home using a blender. The mixer is used both to mix the drink and sometimes to chop or pulverize any of the ingredients, for example ice, fruit or nuts.
