A mango shake is a sweet frozen treat that is soft and flavored like a mango, a tropical fruit. This shake is normally orange to yellow-orange in color, and it is often drinkable through a large straw, though some shakes are so thick that they require the use of a spoon. Some types have chunks of mango fruit in them, while others are only flavored like mango. They can be made with real ice cream or with a pre-made shake mix used in commercial machines. Sometimes, a mango shake can be a drinkable smoothie made of mango blended with cold whole milk.
These shakes come in a few types, but they are all generally served in a tall cup with a straw. A mango shake can be a hand-blended dessert made by blending mango or mango flavoring with ice cream in a machine made for blending milkshakes, or it can be a sweet, mango-flavored ice-cream-like formula that is pumped through a shake-dispensing machine. Usually, a mango shake is a specially ordered item that can be had at well-equipped ice cream shops, but some fast food chains may offer it as a seasonal item.
A mango shake can be made at home by blending mango fruit or mango syrup with ice cream in a home blender. Milk is often added to the mixture to aid the blender and to create a thinner, more drinkable shake. Lacking fresh mango, this shake can be made with dried mango, canned mango, or mango preserves. A mango shake is usually made with vanilla ice cream, but can also be made with other cream or fruit-based flavors of ice cream, like strawberry cheesecake, orange cream, or pineapple.
Mango shakes are generally desserts, and their high calorie content can make them a forbidden treat reserved for special occasions. A calorie-conscious eater might enjoy a mango smoothie. Mango smoothies are made with yogurt and juice instead of ice cream. They have less sugar, more fruit, and less fat than a mango shake. Some mango smoothies are made with nutritive additives like vitamins, protein powder, and fiber.
Though there are many techniques for extracting the flesh from a fresh mango so it can be used in a mango shake, the easiest way to remove the fruit from the hard pit is to use a mango splitter. A mango splitter has a specially shaped cutter that cuts around the shape of a mango pit, leaving two cleanly cut halves of pit-less mango flesh. Normally, mango is cut into slices or cubed before it is added to the mango shake. These fruit pieces can also be frozen and stored.