Most people aren’t aware that the Irish are among the biggest consumers of chocolate per capita in the world. Forbes ranked them number three behind Germany (#2) and Switzerland (#1). It’s easy to understand when you realize that Irish chocolate is also among the best in the world.

We’ve combined the Irish love of chocolate with one of the country’s favorite berries, the blackcurrant, and created a delicious frozen treat. The blackcurrant is a tart berry and fares well with the added sugar in jams. It is the backbone of one of the country’s most popular beverages, Ribena, which we’ve used as flavoring in this smoothie. It’s also used as an herbal medicine in Europe and is catching on in the States for good reasons. High in Omega-6 fatty acids, it helps to reduce inflammation in the body, is sky high in antioxidants, has 3-4 times the vitamin C of oranges based on serving weight and can help lower blood pressure. Combine those superfood qualities with the anti-oxidant power of pure cacao powder and the nutrient dense, fiber and protein rich, antioxidant knockout punch of chia seeds and you’ll have reasons to smile at this sweet concoction.

Keep in mind, Ribena contains a fair amount of sugar, so we couldn’t list this as a healthy drink.

Ingredients (makes two 14 once servings)

• 1 frozen banana (break banana into 4-5 segments before freezing)
• 2 tablespoons cacao powder
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds
• 1½ cups Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk, chilled
• ½ cup Ribena Blackcurrant Concentrate (sold in some international aisles), chilled
• 7-8 ice cubes

Combine ingredients in blender, placing the harder items on top. Blend until smooth.