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A blended non-alcholic beverage made from natural ingredients:Smoothie can also refer to a type of candy bar Smoothie (candy): A Smoothie is also a slang reference to a woman who has had a Brazilian waxing: and is the name for a eunuch: Smoothy (eunuch)
A smoothie is a blended non-alcholic beverage made from natural ingredients, usually fruits and juices but sometimes other natural flavors such as chocolate, peanut butter or even green tea.* Many smoothies use ice or frozen fruit to make them into cold partially frozen beverages. They resemble milkshakes in the sense that they have a thicker consistency than slush drinks, but unlike milkshakes, they are often non-dairy and don't contain ice cream. Smoothies are marketed to health-conscious people and are often made with vitamin and nutritional supplement mixes.
Stephen Kuhnau, the founder of Smoothie King, claims to have created the original "smoothie" in the 1960's, and also to have coined the term.He worked as a soda jerk in his teens, serving people milkshakes, but couldn't drink them himself because of his dairy intolerance. Because of this and the fact that he suffered from other ailments such as low blood sugar and allergies, he was driven to develop his own non-dairy nutritional concoctions, which became known as "smoothies".* Today, Smoothie King is the second largest smoothie franchise in the United States.
Note that the claim that Kuhnau invented smoothies is not without controversy. In particular, Orange Julius has been making a smoothie-like beverage since the 1920's.
Many smoothies depend on bananas to give them their thick, creamy texture. Additionally, many recipes for smoothies are found in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine, typically using yogurt and honey as well as fruit. The addition of yogurt gives the smoothie a more milkshake-like texture, but arguably violates the very definition of a smoothie. Smoothies can also be mixed with soda pop and/or alcohol to make a cocktail.
Smoothies appeal to a wide range of age groups because of their balanced sweetness, fresh fruit flavor, and nutritional value. Most are high in dietary fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. A common recipe is orange juice, strawberries and a banana blended until smooth.
Growing popularity in the United States
Smoothie and juice bars started becoming popular throughout the United States in the 1990's. Jamba Juice is the largest smoothie bar franchise, with 533 stores and sales reaching $345 million in 2005. Jamba Juice is often thought of as the Starbucks of the smoothie world, and in fact, Howard Schultz, the CEO and chairman of Starbucks, is both a major investor and consulting director for Jamba Juice. Smoothie King is the second largest smoothie franchise. The popularity of smoothies continues to grow throughout the country. The Mintel Group, a marketing research firm, estimates that smoothie sales will rise to $2.5 billion by 2010. [http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2006/04/10/story7.html?t=printable.
In 2006, due to the growing popularity of smoothie drinks in the U.S., both Dunkin Donuts and Cold Stone Creamery added several varieties of smoothies to their product offerings.
See also
Reference
- Brown, Ellen (2005). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Smoothies. ISBN 1592573185.
External links
"Smoothie"