Traditional Vietnamese Avocado Shake without a Blender

When I was a kid, my family’s humbled background didn’t have the money for any luxury items, and this included snacks. If I really wanted a sweet treat, I had to dig through our very ancient sofa for loose change, defied my parents’ order to remain in the house while they were at work, and run to the corner liquor store to buy myself my go-to sweet treat, a Crunch chocolate bar.

When I didn’t want to make the trek to the questionable liquor store, I made my sweet treat at home with an avocado.

Sweet treat with an avocado? Isn’t that an oxymoron?

In the west, we think of avocadoes as a savory food. It’s something we add to sandwiches or salads. Whereas in Vietnam, we use avocadoes in dessert, among many other unlikely western foods. One of the easiest ways to have avocadoes in a dessert is to smash them with a bit of sugar, condensed milk, and serve in ice.

There is no need for a blender with this recipe. It’s simply smashed avocadoes, resulting in chunks that you scoop with a spoon. It is a refreshing and traditional Vietnamese way to enjoy ripe avocadoes.

This recipe comes in handy when you have to use up avocadoes that you have forgotten about ;-)

If you are looking for a restaurant version with smooth avocado puree using a blender, click here.

Recipe below. Enjoy!

Traditional Vietnamese Avocado Shake without a Blender

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional)
• 1 cup ice

Instructions

1. Halve the avocado and take out the pit. Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh and transfer to a glass.
2. Add sugar and condensed milk. Smash the avocado well with the sugar and condensed milk.
3. Add ice and serve.