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We have a client visit planned to our service center (in India) and I am in-charge of Food and Beverages for our client's entire itinerary. I am writing to my client's Travel coordinator(an American) seeking a clarification on beverages that are to be arranged.

For breakfast, we have finalized on Filter Coffee (Hot) and Fresh fruit [Smoothie/Milkshake] (Cold) in Beverages. Kindly let us know if there are other preferences. Thanks

The cold beverage will be mixture of fruits + milk + ice cream + dry fruits (nuts)

N.B: Since I probably will be dealing with British clients in the near future, I'd be grateful if you could point out which word is clearer for Britons.

Verdict

First of all, thanks to each and every EL&U member for registering their answers and comments. What started out as a word-choice dilemma has spiraled out of control (in a good way, I should say:)) and has provided clear guidelines on the usage of the words "smoothie" and "milkshake", and more importantly what goes in it and what does not. I showed this to our catering manager and she couldn't help but be amazed! Therefore, I feel the need to update you all on the outcome.

For beverages, we will be offering our American clients banana and apple smoothies with lot of fruits, zero sugar and a little amount of low-fat milk (none of the dignitaries are lactose intolerant, phew!). We are doing away with the nuts as suggested by many but will anyways be placing some dry fruits and nut varieties separately as a "top-up"( can be included with the drink or taken separately, as per individual tastes!)

I once again thank everyone for your answers and comments and of course, if someone has an alternative definition of these words, you can always post them here.

Cheers

Mari-Lou A
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BiscuitBoy
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    Just checking you don't mean a lassi do you? That's neither a milkshake nor a smoothie. – OrangeDog Jan 18 '16 at 13:50
  • @OrangeDog - Nope. Not lassi. But you may have just given me another option! :) I mean a beverage that has real fruit and milk. – BiscuitBoy Jan 18 '16 at 14:46
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    You might want to try asking this on the cooking.SE site. (use tag 'language'). From my travels, I've seen plenty of smoothies where there is dairy (yogurt or milk), but the majority is fruit. Milkshakes are primarily dairy and must include ice-cream. (this is why McDonald's serves 'shakes' and not 'milkshakes') – Joe Jan 18 '16 at 15:44
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    And if there's a difference in British & American usage of 'smoothie' or 'milkshake', you might want to make a note of it at http://cooking.stackexchange.com/q/784/67 – Joe Jan 18 '16 at 16:00
  • Let us continue this discussion in chat. – Tim Ward Jan 18 '16 at 17:11
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    Guys, this is a language question on a language site. If the asker wanted opinions on the menu itself, they'd have asked at http://cooking.stackexchange.com – user56reinstatemonica8 Jan 18 '16 at 17:41
  • @user568458: I think the question belongs on such a site, not here. It seems to be coming down to ingredients. Why not ask the experts? – Drew Jan 19 '16 at 01:57
  • I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it is best directed at a cooking site. – Drew Jan 19 '16 at 01:58

8 Answers8

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A milkshake usually contains only milk and ice cream. However, sometimes strawberries or bananas can be added.

If the beverage is mostly fruit and ice, then I would call it a smoothie. If you add some milk, nuts, or ice cream to it I would still call it a smoothie.

The key ingredients determine the name. So if it is mostly ice cream and milk, it's a milkshake. If it's mostly fruit and ice then it's a smoothie. Also, milkshakes traditionally don't have nuts, protein powder, vitamin powders, or other additives.

In your example, I would call it a smoothie. If I saw smoothie on the menu I would expect the ingredients that you listed. Milkshake confuses things a bit. Stick to one.

michael_timofeev
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    As regards your British visitors, those terms are all well-understood. But it is unlikely your UK guests will be much interested in milk-shakes with ice-cream, or smoothies with lost of ice, for breakfast. If you provide coffee & tea (brown tea with sugar and milk available), plus plenty of fruit juices - orange, pineapple, mango etc., that should take care of the beverage side of things - at least for breakfast. Always be aware that the British take far less ice with their drinks than Americans. – WS2 Jan 18 '16 at 11:12
  • @WS2 you might want to post this under the OPs question as a comment. – michael_timofeev Jan 18 '16 at 11:13
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    You could incorporate WS2's comments, he is a British English speaker. I have to agree about finding milkshakes on a breakfast menu, I think I would instinctively recoil if I read that. I'm cool with a fruit-based smoothie though. – Mari-Lou A Jan 18 '16 at 11:16
  • @Mari-LouA Yeah, it's not clear to me what the final drink will be, but for breakfast I'm not so sure the smoothie thing is the way to go. – michael_timofeev Jan 18 '16 at 11:18
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    @Mary-Lou I'm not sure if I just speak for my own tastes, but at breakfast I think the drinks need to be relatively simple - fruit juices, perhaps mixed, but from a British perspective, ice is not usually taken at breakfast. One thing that would please UK guests for breakfast would be a cup of tea made the way we make it. And remember that for a proper cup of tea the water HAS TO BE boiling, when it meets the tea. – WS2 Jan 18 '16 at 11:25
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    @WS2 I agree. The smoothie won't be appreciated by UK visitors. – michael_timofeev Jan 18 '16 at 11:26
  • @michael_timofeev Not for breakfast. Other times during the hot day - fine! – WS2 Jan 18 '16 at 11:28
  • @Mari-LouA I am not sure I understand what you mean when you say - " I think I would instinctively recoil if I read that...". Do you suggest that milkshakes generally aren't ideal breakfast options or Americans specifically don't prefer milkshakes for breakfast. I might as well post a question about breakfast beverage preferences, but I digress! – BiscuitBoy Jan 18 '16 at 11:28
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    @BiscuitBoy I wouldn't serve milkshakes or smoothies for breakfast. A number of reasons. Best to go with traditional. Tried and true. – michael_timofeev Jan 18 '16 at 12:13
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    @BiscuitBoy Continenetal breakfast. Tea and coffee. Bread and some fruit. Perhaps some well cooked eggs. Many people actually don't have breakfast. – michael_timofeev Jan 18 '16 at 12:14
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    @michael_timofeev A continental breakfast would typically also include cheese, ham, croissants, cereals, and the option for toasting your bread. Those, plus the ones you mentioned (minus the egg), are the minimum I would expect at a hotel advertising a continental breakfast in Europe. – JBentley Jan 18 '16 at 13:27
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    @BiscuitBoy If the smoothie is fruit based, no ice-cream, and no ice (not all smoothies are made with ice/ice-cream) then it has a more "healthy-looking" appeal. I don't know about American tastes, but I'm sure young British people wouldn't object to having a fruit smoothie in the morning. – Mari-Lou A Jan 18 '16 at 16:46
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    @Mari-LouA I'm sure my children would love smoothies for breakfast. But in the UK only the poshest hotels provide them at that hour. Budget hotels (where I stay) typically give you a buffet breakfast with tea, coffee, and a variety of fruit juices in jugs, so that you can mix your own should you feel inclined. Given fruit, yoghurt and muesli cereal, a "main course" of eggs, bacon, black pudding, mushrooms, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, and hash browns, followed by croissants, toast and marmalade, that ought to see you alright to start the day! And there is always porridge if you ask! – WS2 Jan 18 '16 at 17:32
  • Good God, someone needs to buy you people a blender and a fruit bowl. Bit of banana, an apple, whatever berries you have in, press go, and you're out the door for the day. Better than cornflakes. – deworde Jan 18 '16 at 17:43
  • Quite a few younger Americans don't drink coffee or tea, and instead like a soft drink (e.g. Coca-Cola or Diet Coke) as their source of caffeine in the morning. Or even a Red Bull, if you have those in your country. Heck I'm 68, and I never drink coffee but I usually have a Coke or two first think in the morning. – tcrosley Jan 19 '16 at 00:10
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    @BiscuitBoy Whatever you do, someone will be unhappy. Keep it simple. Most Americans will be OK with coffee or tea, OJ, croissants, butter, jam and fruit. And bottled water. It isn't as though any of them will starve before lunch. – ab2 Jan 19 '16 at 02:25
  • @WS2: Speaking as a citizen of a former British colony and having had visiting colleagues from the UK I can say that in a hot climate even the English drink iced drinks for breakfast :) But yeah, most would enjoy a hot cup of chai just as well – slebetman Jan 19 '16 at 03:44
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    "Also, milkshakes traditionally don't have ... additives." Sure they do. Maybe not nuts, as that would make a non-smooth texture. However, a "chocolate malt" is just a chocolate milkshake with "malt" powder added. That is so common of a variation that the drink even has another name for it. – TOOGAM Jan 19 '16 at 18:37
  • milkshakes for breakfast would be very weird to americans too, as would soft drinks. smoothies for breakfast, on the other hand, is definitely not weird to americans. smoothies are not a typical daily american breakfast, but at events like yours they are completely normal. – user428517 Jan 19 '16 at 19:42
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    I agree with @TOOGAM. Also, as an American, I frequently hear drinks made with protein powder named "protein shakes" and never as "protein smoothies." So I don't think it is too much of a stretch to call a milkshake with protein powder a milkshake. – Cave Johnson Jan 19 '16 at 23:01
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For most Americans, a milkshake is served as dessert (usually at the end of the meal), although it may also replace the main beverage for the meal if one is feeling indulgent. Milkshakes are generally not associated with breakfast.

Smoothies, however, are generally viewed as a meal-replacement, most often for breakfast (when one is in a hurry to get to work), so it will generally contain protein, fiber, fruit, and enough ice and/or milk (or milk-like substitute such as yogurt) to blend all ingredients into a drinkable liquid.

One additional distinction is consistency. Milkshakes tend to be thicker than smoothies.

Dart H.
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    Honestly, I think this answer is more appropriate for this site than any of the others. +1 – Dan Henderson Jan 18 '16 at 19:05
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    Along those lines, since this particular recipe sounds heartier than a simple smoothie (thanks to the ice cream), would it be better to call it a "breakfast shake" instead? Or would that just confuse the issue? – thanby Jan 19 '16 at 17:39
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    I've had a lot of milkshakes (and malts) in my day. There was even a period where I routinely got one with every meal. I don't believe I have ever once ordered one separately from the meal as "desert". Its usually been an (expensive) alternate to having a water-based drink like a pop (soda/code/ or whatever they call it in your dialect area) with the meal. – T.E.D. Jan 20 '16 at 14:05
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The critical thing I would go with is to make it clear that the smoothies contain milk and nuts. It's not a given that a smoothie will contain either (in the UK, most contain yoghurt as the base ingredient, or are pure fruit), and if someone is lactose intolerant or allergic, it can range from embarrassing to catastrophic to get that wrong.

For preference with British English, I would go with Smoothie; it's certainly more expected as a healthy breakfast drink, whereas milkshake is generally used in the context of a dessert or as an accompaniment to a meal (e.g. McDonalds).

deworde
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    As someone with a nut allergy I found the original post alarming. I’m always on the lookout for my allergens but I would never expect there to be nuts in a smoothie. – bdesham Jan 18 '16 at 16:30
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    In the UK smoothie is more likely to be associated with quality ingredients, too. Read "smoothie" and you expect real fresh fruit. Read "milkshake" and you hope for real fruit and ice cream, but unless specified otherwise, you expect just milk with artificial flavourings and nothing else. That said, "smoothie" usually means only blended fresh fruit and water/ice, so definitely definitely specify all the other surprise ingredients. – user56reinstatemonica8 Jan 18 '16 at 17:38
  • @user568458 This is sort of true (and I suggested it with the comment about McDonalds), although a lot of restaurants offer Thick Shakes as a dessert that are more the former. – deworde Jan 18 '16 at 17:40
  • @bdesham I can see it as an exotic taste (not for you, obviously). Sort of like less healthy granola. – deworde Jan 18 '16 at 17:46
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    I am also absurdly proud that my first thought was "they're going to focus on the language and someone is going to die." – deworde Jan 18 '16 at 17:56
  • McDonalds serves 'shakes' not 'milkshakes'. They can't call them a 'milkshake' as it contains no ice cream. (they do contain dairy, however) – Joe Jan 18 '16 at 22:17
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    +1 American usage is generally in line with what this answer describes as well. – reirab Jan 19 '16 at 07:38
  • @joe um – AakashM Jan 19 '16 at 08:56
  • @AakashM i believe joe is only referring to inside the us. he might not be aware that other countries have different food laws. – user428517 Jan 19 '16 at 19:47
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    @Joe Actually, they could, they just do not want to because they want the formula to be the same everywhere and in the United States, the rules as to what is and is not a milkshake change from state to state.. – Trisped Jan 19 '16 at 23:00
  • I want to +1 for the bit about making it clear that they contain milk and nuts, but I'm not sure about the use of 'Smoothie' where Brits are concerned. It feels like a glaring Americanism, which will be enough to put some people off. British views on America and Americanisms are very polarised. – Pharap Jan 20 '16 at 11:22
  • @Pharap As a British person, I think we've given up on Smoothie; it's just a thing that exists. Also, Milkshake is also an Americanism. tbh, the OP is better going with "Lassi" plus description, but if they want to make the choice between A or B, I would prefer Smoothie to Milkshake in this instance. – deworde Jan 20 '16 at 11:40
  • @deworde See http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/212877/to-include-vs-including – ab2 Jan 20 '16 at 21:23
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It depends on what is in the drink and how thick the drink is.

From Honeybell's Cookery:

The main difference between smoothies and milk shakes is that fruit is the principal ingredient of the smoothie and ice cream is the primary ingredient of the milkshake.

The link contains quite a bit more information, but that is the main point.

There is also this answer on the Seasoned Advice SE site which covers the same information, as well as indicating that a 1941 advertised Banana Smoothie was milk and banana.

Community
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Trisped
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  • I was going to add my own answer but then I saw this. If it contains ice cream then I would call it a milk shake. Otherwise, I would call it a smoothie. – Stephen Rasku Jan 19 '16 at 17:22
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If it's a lassi (which I know commonly are fruit, and sometimes use the pistachio nut or almonds) call it a lassi

An American going on an assignment in India should understand "lassi" as a dairy-and-fruit beverage at a baseline and may be pleased by menu verisimilitude as a recipe of Indian origin.

user662852
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  • This does not provide an answer to the question. To critique or request clarification from an author, leave a comment below their post. - From Review – macraf Jan 19 '16 at 00:06
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    @macraf This is a valid answer though. "What should I call this drink, x or y?". "Call it Z" is an answer, even if it's not really respecting the author's question. – SuperBiasedMan Jan 19 '16 at 09:43
  • I removed the chatty parts. If the consensus that answering "A or B?" with "why not near synonym C" is not an ELU answer I'll delete in a few days – user662852 Jan 19 '16 at 12:00
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    I think this is a fair "lateral" answer, given the location is India – Carl Witthoft Jan 19 '16 at 12:22
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    "Lassi is a blend of yogurt, water, spices and sometimes, fruit." It seems definitions as to what a 'lassi' is vary. Also I don't like your assumption that an American going to India would know what one is. People do not always read up on the cultures of the places they're visiting. – Pharap Jan 20 '16 at 11:29
  • @pharap the OP lists nuts; only "peanut butter" is a common nut for milkshakes, but there seems to be more variety in lassi such as pistachio. Now, Google tells me there are 8000 Indian restaurants in the US. There are less than 1000 Outback Steakhouses. With what count of restaurants would you consider "lassi" to be as vernacular as Aussie expressions on the Outback menu? (Shrimpie on the barbie, bloomin onion, etc) – user662852 Jan 20 '16 at 13:58
  • @user662852 8000 Indian restaurants does not mean that all those restaurants serve lassi. Here in the UK none of the Indian restaurants I've been to serve it (granted I've only been to ~3, but they were all family-owned). Also not all the people visiting the service centre will have been to an Indian restaurant before. I had to look up what a 'blooming onion' is, never heard of it before. Putting 'shrimp on the barbie' is a stereotype, so people are much more likely to know that. I don't consider the number of restaurants to be representative of what counts as vernacular. – Pharap Jan 20 '16 at 14:41
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    I only learned the term lassi about a year ago. But I agree with this answer – if you're serving a lassi, call it a lassi, rather than trying to find the closest thing to a lassi in English. At worst, the visitors will look perplexed and ask, "What's a lassi?" At that point, the O.P. can reply, "It's kind of like a milkshake, only it has dried fruit and nuts mixed in." – J.R. Jan 20 '16 at 17:12
  • If it is a lassi, but a lassi doesn't taste quite the same as a smoothie, even if both have similar ingredients (yogurt, ice, maybe fruit, maybe honey). Lassis are a blend of those ingredients, smoothies are a blend of those ingredients, but that doesn't make them the same. (I wouldn't complain about having a lassi at breakfast, though I would think it was unusual, as it's more of a lunch thing, being more indulgent than a typical smoothie. Albeit, still certainly less indulgent than a typical milkshake.) – neminem Jan 21 '16 at 16:32
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I have many Brits as friends here in Canada and what they call a smoothie, we also call a smoothie. A smoothie is fresh fruits and even veggies (carrots, broccoli, kale, etc) blended with juice or milk or with protein powder. You can also add nuts. You can add just about anything and it's still a "smoothie."

But some of the commenters are correct, people do have nut allergies. I'd forgo the nuts in the smoothies to be on the safe side. A milkshake is strictly ice cream blended with milk to be a drinkable "ice cream" and it's usually a dessert or a midday summer treat like ice cream is. It is also not considered to be particularly healthy, just delicious.

Also, mentioning that your coffee is filtered does confuse the western reader. It's a given to us that the coffee grounds have been filtered out and what will be in our cups is pure coffee liquid. You would only address filtering if it were UNfiltered. It's also perfectly all right to uses adjectives such as "Piping Hot Columbian Coffee" and "Fresh Tangy Citrus and "Crunchy Kale Smoothies" or "Sweet Northern Strawberries" and "Golden Banana Smoothies."

Pharap
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MaryAnn Hardy
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    Personally I think offering the nuts as an afterthought makes more sense than not including them at all. Also I'd dispute the filtered coffee comment. Personally I would take 'filtered coffee' to imply that it's fresh/proper coffee and not 'instant coffee'. – Pharap Jan 20 '16 at 11:43
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Beware: in New England, a "milk shake" is pretty much unknown, so you'll likely get just that: shaken milk. If you want the ice cream version, ask for a "frappe".

Smoothies pretty much require something allegedly healthy :-) to be included, which kinda rules out a milkshake/frappe's combo of icecream, syrups, and even more sugar in some cases (and no or little fruit, and certainly no veggies).

Carl Witthoft
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    Nowadays, I think pretty much everybody in New England knows what a milkshake is, and lots of places list them on their menu. Some places still use the word frappe. – Peter Shor Jan 18 '16 at 13:25
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    I grew up in Connecticut in the 80's and 90's, and the only word I ever heard used to describe it is "milkshake". I had never heard of a frappe until I moved away and saw Starbucks for the first time... – Taegost Jan 18 '16 at 14:37
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    Like Boston's tonic for soda, I think frappe is falling by the wayside, though bubbler seems to have legs. A frappe (or frappé) to me is a coffee drink. – choster Jan 18 '16 at 15:08
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    Not sure what you're talking about...milkshake is a 100% understood word across the United States and has been for a LONG time. Different areas may also have a different word that can be used...but milkshake is still understood everywhere. Maybe you didn't know it...but the rest of New England sure did. – Jimbo Jonny Jan 18 '16 at 16:16
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    No it isn't. Even people who use "frappe" know what a milkshake is. Source: I have lived in New England almost my entire life. – Casey Jan 18 '16 at 17:59
  • @Taegost "Frappe" is only really a Massachusetts thing as far as I can tell and depending on whom you ask may differ slightly from a milkshake. – Casey Jan 18 '16 at 18:00
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    In old-time places in Boston, "milkshake" may be just milk and flavoring, without ice cream. Reference, if you don't believe me: http://www.yankeemagazine.com/article/new-england-101/milk-shakes-frappes-cabinets. This won't be the case in bigger restaurants and chains, but if you go to a diner or a country ice-cream shop, the distinction lives on. – mattdm Jan 18 '16 at 18:29
  • @Casey - Ah thank, that makes sense... I don't think I ever tried to get a milkshake whenever I went to Mass (We had a really good place at home that set the bar really high for me), which would be why I had never heard of it. I need to watch myself when I go to Boston in April now! – Taegost Jan 18 '16 at 21:21
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    @mattdm Well, I live near what I guess you'd call a country ice cream shop near Boston and they sell "milkshakes" and "extra-thick frappes" but they're both basically typical milkshakes except the latter has more ice cream in it. This is why I qualified my comment with "depending on whom you ask;" it does not seem like people who make a distinction all agree on what the distinction is, exactly. – Casey Jan 18 '16 at 21:34
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    ??? They don't have McDonald's in New England? – Hot Licks Jan 19 '16 at 02:26
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    @HotLicks They may have MickeyD's but FSM forbid I'd ever go in one! – Carl Witthoft Jan 19 '16 at 12:21
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    Put me down as another New Englander (specifically MA, and even more specifically Cape Cod) who calls nonsense on the claim that milkshake wouldn't be understood as meaning ice cream + flavoring (and in fact, mattdm's claim that milkshake in Boston would just be milk and flavoring is the first I heard of it) – Foon Jan 19 '16 at 18:48
  • @Foon get offa my lawn you young punk :-) – Carl Witthoft Jan 19 '16 at 19:08
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    @comethapaxd'ajax yeah, it's "frap" here, unlike, say Starbuck's "frapp-ay" :-) . New England is famous for mispronunciations. Calais,ME is "Callous"; Berlin NH is "BERlin" -- but Berlin, ME is pronounced correctly. – Carl Witthoft Jan 20 '16 at 15:08
  • Re: /frăp/. You may find the following interesting, if exotic. Cheers! –  Jan 21 '16 at 04:15
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A milkshake is usually milk with artificial flavoring and lots of sugar. It it not a suitable drink for breakfast.

In contrast, a smoothie is liquidised fruit. It is better for breakfast. So that is what you should say is being served.

Dinesh Kumar Garg
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QuentinUK
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  • Milk with artificial flavouring is not a milkshake, it's "flavoured milk", or simply "chocolate/strawberry milk". As a child I used to drink Nesquik milk made from chocolate or strawberry-sweetened powder. You added a tablespoon into a glass of cold milk and then stirred. Nothing like a milkshake – Mari-Lou A Jan 22 '16 at 08:49