Mango & Passion Fruit Shake

Reading Time: 3 minutes

It’s been a little while since I posted due to Lujan and I relocating from Thailand to a new apartment in Cambodia. We’ve been living a somewhat nomadic life for a very long time but especially in the last few years, we’ve never stayed in any one location for more than three months. This really comes down to that we have been searching for a place in the world that we can call home but so far nothing quite seemed to fit.

We’ve been in Siem Reap a couple of weeks now and – while like everywhere it certainly comes with its own set of challenges – it does seem to be somewhere we feel we can settle down for a while. The people are lovely, the weather is extremely hot (which we love), the food is good and there are even lots of vegan options and a few dedicated vegetarian restaurants.

Of course of much importance is that we have reliable access to fresh fruit and young coconuts. While there is not quite as much variety and consistency as in Thailand, we are certainly don’t feel like we are missing anything, and some of the fruits are even better here. Some of my favorites that are available at the moment include lychees, cherimoya, and mangosteens.

In particular, we’ve been enjoying the local mangoes as it is the peak of mango season now. Cambodian mangoes are sweeter and have a more vibrant color than those we had in Thailand. Here they are only $1 a kilo and I have to say they are some of the best mangoes we’ve had anywhere in the world.

Because it is so hot here – consistently around 100 degrees every day – fresh fruit shakes are extremely popular. These involve blending fresh fruit with water and ice to make a refreshing drink to beat the heat. In the main part of town, the streets are lined with rows of fresh fruit stands, which offer a welcome respite for many a weary traveler.

Lately, our favorite blend is mango with passion fruit. The tartness of the passion fruit provides an enlivening contrast against the sweetness of the mangoes. Blended with ice this is a healthy breakfast beverage or an invigorating pick-me-up on a hot afternoon.

I prefer making this smoothie in a high-speed blender because it does a better job of breaking down the passion fruit seeds. However, if all you have is a regular blender it will also be fine.