Ethiopian Spris with Layered Mango, Avocado, Papaya Smoothie and Fresh Lime

Prepare the glasses: chill 4 tall clear glasses (highball or pilsner shape — clear is essential to show off the layers) in the freezer for 15 minutes. The cold glass slows blending of the layers when poured.

Ingredients

• For the avocado layer (the green base):
• 2 large ripe Ethiopian or Hass avocados
• 120ml (1/2 cup) cold whole milk
• 60ml (1/4 cup) sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tbsp icing sugar (adjust to taste)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup ice cubes
• For the papaya layer (the orange middle):
• 350g (12 oz) ripe papaya flesh, seeds removed
• 60ml (1/4 cup) cold milk
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp lime juice (brightens the papaya)
• 1 cup ice cubes
• For the mango layer (the gold top):
• 2 large ripe Alphonso or Kent mangoes, peeled and chopped
• 60ml (1/4 cup) cold milk
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1 cup ice cubes
• For garnish:
• Toasted shredded coconut
• Lime wedges
• Crushed pistachios or sliced almonds
• A small drizzle of sweetened condensed milk on top
• Long-handled spoons for eating

Instructions

1. Prepare the glasses: chill 4 tall clear glasses (highball or pilsner shape — clear is essential to show off the layers) in the freezer for 15 minutes. The cold glass slows blending of the layers when poured.
2. Make the mango layer: combine mango, milk, icing sugar, lime juice and ice in a high-powered blender. Blend on high for 60 seconds until completely smooth and very thick — the layer should hold its shape on a spoon. Transfer to a jug and refrigerate.
3. Wash the blender thoroughly: any residue from one fruit will muddy the next layer. A quick rinse with hot water and a scrub of the blade is essential.
4. Make the papaya layer: combine papaya, milk, icing sugar, lime juice and ice. Blend until perfectly smooth and thick. Transfer to a separate jug. Wash the blender again.
5. Make the avocado layer: combine avocado, milk, condensed milk, icing sugar, vanilla, salt and ice. Blend until completely silky — avocado is the densest layer and forms the foundation of the spris.
6. Texture check: each layer should pour like soft-serve, not pourable juice. If a layer is too thin to hold a separation, add a few more ice cubes or a small spoonful of avocado/papaya/mango pulp to thicken.
7. Layer the spris: pour the avocado layer first, filling each glass about a third of the way. Tap the glass on the counter to level. Then carefully spoon the papaya layer over the back of a spoon held just above the avocado — the back-of-spoon technique slows the pour and keeps the colors distinct. Fill another third. Finally, spoon the mango layer over the back of the spoon to fill the top third. The result should be three vivid horizontal stripes of green, coral and gold.
8. Garnish and serve: drizzle a thin spiral of sweetened condensed milk over the top mango layer. Shower with toasted coconut and crushed pistachios. Tuck a lime wedge onto the rim. Serve immediately with long iced-tea spoons and thick straws — drinkers can either swirl the layers together or eat each layer separately, top to bottom.
9. How to drink it: traditional Ethiopian spris drinkers eat the layers in turn — first the cool sweet mango, then the bright papaya, then finishing with the silky avocado base — but the more common method is to plunge a long spoon to the bottom and create a spiral pattern through all three colors with each scoop.
10. Spris (sometimes spelled spris fruta or spreez) is the iconic Ethiopian café drink, served at every juice bar across Addis Ababa and the highland cities. The name is borrowed from Italian — a legacy of the brief Italian colonial period (1936-1941), when European-style cafés were established and adopted into local culture. Ethiopia produces some of the world's finest tropical fruit thanks to its high-altitude microclimates: the avocados grown around Hawassa are notably sweet and nutty, the mangoes of the Awash Valley have an almost honeyed flavor, and Ethiopian papaya is famously aromatic. A proper spris is judged by the cleanliness of the layer separation — Addis café masters have been known to refuse a tip if their layers blur. The drink is typically taken in the late afternoon and is considered both a refreshment and a complete light meal in itself.