THE AMAZING AVOCADO

“Avocados. That was one of my mistakes,” explained actor George Burns, who played the key role in the movie, Oh God. “The pit’s too big,” he added. The avocado’s pit may be a little out of proportion, but this vitamin packed bundle of flavor is anything but a mistake of nature. In fact, people in areas where avocados are believed to have originated (Mexico, Central and South America) have been eating them for centuries. The Aztecs of ancient Mexico likely invented guacamole, which remains the most popular way to eat avocados. When the Spanish conquered Mexico in 1519, the Conquistadors recorded the widespread use of avocados in the native diet. Just like today, the Aztecs mashed them and mixed the paste with tomatoes, onions, and chilies.

 

The Spanish found the green meat of this “buttery” fruit (and yes, it’s a fruit and not a vegetable) found that avocados were a delicious addition to their own foods, mixing it with salt and pepper, or adding sugar to create a dessert. As for that enormous pit? Squeezing out the milky liquid, the Spaniards discovered that avocado pit juice changes into a blackish/red indelible ink. Old Spanish documents written in avocado ink still exist.

 

Avocados were also enjoyed in the West Indies. When George Washington traveled to Barbados in 1751, he wrote about the tasty “avavago pears” that were grown there. And when British sailors discovered the green pear-shaped fruit, they brought them along on their voyages. In the absence of butter, they mashed the soft fruit and spread it on their hardtack, giving avocados a new name: “midshipman’s butter.”

 

THE AVOCADO AS AN APHRODISIAC?

 

No one knows how the avocado got its reputation as an aphrodisiac. Maybe it was because of its pear-like shape and the fact that it hung in clusters of two that the Aztecs called it the “testicle tree.”  Due to the avocado’s reputed romantic qualities, Aztec maidens were kept indoors when the trees were harvested. Spanish padres took the avocado’s reputation seriously. In fact, they went so far as to prohibit their planting in the missions’ gardens. During the 1920s, avocado growers launched a public relations campaign assuring American consumers that there was no proof the strange green fruit indeed had this “undesirable” side effect. Today, the avocado industry will neither deny nor confirm the fruits’ qualities as an aphrodisiac!

 

CALIFORNIA AND THE AVOCADO

 

Avocado trees were introduced into the United States in Florida around 1833. Although Judge R.B. Ord of Santa Barbara brought the first avocado trees to California in 1871, it was another forty years before they would be grown commercially, when Carl Schmidt, who worked for a nursery in Altadena, found a perfect variety for California’s weather pattern while visiting Puebla, Mexico. He planted numerous saplings in a grove in what is now San Marino. Only one tree survived Southern California’s “great freeze of 1913.” This hearty avocado was named Fuerte, which means vigorous or strong in Spanish.

 

Today, the Hass avocado is the most commonly grown variety in the world. Developed accidentally by Rudolph Hass, a postman who owned land in current-day La Habra Heights. The rough, dark variety was the result of a failed graft in 1926. The Hass owes its overwhelming success to its long growing season (8 months), its creamy texture, and its buttery flavor. Hass avocados are easily identified by their pebbly skin, which changes from forest green to blackish purple when ripe.

 

AVOCADO FACTS:

 

1. Did you know that the avocado is among the top 10 heart-healthy foods?  It’s true! Although this nutty tasting fruit is high in fat, it’s the good kind (monounsaturated) that can actually help lower LDL cholesterol. It has 60% more potassium than a banana (which helps lower blood pressure), as well as folic acid, dietary fiber, and vitamins C, E and B6 (and the important mineral K). Recent studies have shown that its phytonutrients can help protect against prostate cancer.

 

2. They are loaded with vitamin E, lutein (a phytochemical that can help prevent common eyesight problems), and glutathione (a cancer-preventing antioxidant).

 

3. Avocados are not only eaten for their health benefits, but the leaves and fruit are used around the world for medicinal purposes and for beauty treatments. Avocado oil is especially popular as a skin and scalp ointment.

 

4. California farmers produce 95% of all avocados grown in the country. Why is avocado production so successful in Southern California? Because of the ideal growing conditions: good soil, proper drainage, and abundant sunshine.

 

5. The word avocado comes from the Spanish aquacate, which was a corrupted version of the Aztec term ahuacatl.

 

6. Avocado trees have been known to produce fruit for over 200 years!

 

7. There’s actually an Avocado Fan Club!

 

Tips:  To speed up ripening, put the avocado in a paper bag with an apple, which releases a harmless gas that hastens the process.  Once the meat has been exposed to air, it will darken. After making guacamole, place the pits in the bowl with the dip. The natural enzymes will help preserve the taste and pale green color. When using a portion of an avocado, brush the remaining exposed area with lemon or lime juice and secure it tightly in air-tight plastic wrap.

 

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AVOCADO SALSA

Mild and delicious.

4 avocadoes - diced

¼ bottle green tobassco sauce (I use less because I like it very mild)

1 can diced tomatoes (drain off a bit of the juice)

1 pkg. or about 1 cup grated cheese

1 finely chopped Bermuda (purple) onion

½ small can diced Ortega chilis

Finely chopped cilantro (I use about ½ bunch or to your taste)

2 small cans sliced black olives

Pinch of sugar (or to taste)

Garlic salt to taste

Mix and chill. I use a half recipe for smaller gatherings.