Real Food Encyclopedia | Avocado
Avocados (Persea americana) are thought to be native to south-central Mexico, and according to “The Oxford Companion to Food,” have been cultivated for more than 7,000 years. The Aztecs enjoyed the fruit — indeed, guacamole is an Aztec invention. The first mention of the fruit in English dates from 1672, in Jamaica. Avocados were first planted in the U.S. in the mid-19th century: in Florida in 1833, and in California in 1856.
The Persea americana tree is a member of the laurel family, and has some interesting relatives, including bay laurel, cinnamon, cassia, camphor and sassafras.
Fun facts about avocados:
- The word “avocado” comes from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word “ahuacatl” or “ahuakatl,” meaning “testicle.”
- Guacamole is traditionally made in a molcajete, a mortar and pestle made from volcanic rock.
- The popular name for the fruit in the U.S. was once “alligator pear,” which the California Avocado Grower’s Exchange lobbied to formally change — issuing an official statement in 1927.
- A California postman named Rudolph Hass accidentally introduced the now-ubiquitous Hass avocado. Hass patented the variety in 1935.
What to look for when buying avocados
Avocados vary in size, shape and color depending on the variety. Their skin may be smooth or bumpy, bright green or black; they can be pear-shaped, egg-shaped or spherical. The common Hass variety has bumpy skin and is shaped like a pear. Most varieties have yellow-green flesh with a large, brown pit. Avocados have a mild, fruity flavor and a creamy, dense texture, though some will be oilier and some more watery.
A ripe fruit yields to gentle pressure when squeezed. In some varieties, like Hass, the fruit’s skin will turn from green to black when ripe. The California Avocado Board has a guide to choosing a ripe avocado.
Sustainability of avocados
Avocado trees require quite a bit of water: For each piece of fruit, 60 gallons went toward its growth, an obvious problem in a state like California where drought has been persistent.
In 2014, Tom Philpott explored the issue in an article for Mother Jones, noting that avocados require significantly more water than peaches and more than six times as much as oranges. That same year, Civil Eats reported that avocado production may have been consuming more than its fair share of water in certain areas of Chile, a major exporter to the U.S. in the California off-season.
Pesticides
Avocados rank first on the Environmental Working Group’s 2023 “Clean Fifteen” guide: Pesticide residue on the fruit is fairly low, and because the skin is not eaten, risk of exposure is even lower. However, root rot is a serious disease in avocado trees, and fungicides are sometimes used to manage it. Organic avocados are available.
Seasonality
In much of the U.S., the Hass variety is what shows up in the supermarket; these avocados are available year-round. Other common varieties of avocado are generally in season from the end of the summer through mid-fall (depending on the type). Food Republic has a helpful seasonality guide for various avocado varieties.
Geography
As of 2023, California, Florida and Hawaiʻi grow the most avocados in the country, with the vast majority of them Hass avocados. Mexico leads avocado production globally, accounting for 55 to 60 percent of exports in 2022; Peru and Chile are also leading exporters.
Most varieties require warm, humid conditions to grow, but some cultivars from Central America are resistant to light frost. Avocados are generally commercially propagated through grafting, but you can easily grow your own avocado tree from the pit. A seedling may not produce fruit for up to 15 years, but they can go on to be productive for more than 40.
Avocados are classified into three different “races”: Mexican, Guatemalan and Caribbean. Many of our common varieties (including Hass and Fuerte) are Mexican-Guatemalan hybrids. According to chef Rick Bayless, Caribbean varieties tend to have less oil content and a fruitier flavor.
Eating avocados
Storing
Store avocados on the counter until they ripen, then stick them in the fridge, where they will keep for up to a week. Do not store unripe avocados in the fridge — they will never soften. Too-hard avocados can be helped by placing them in a paper bag with a ripe banana, which will emit ethylene, a gas that causes some fruit to ripen more quickly.
Cooking
Many of us in the U.S. automatically associate avocados with guacamole. The modern variations on guacamole are endless, but the preparation has been around since at least the 15th century (and probably before). We can’t talk about guacamole, or avocados in general, without talking about Mexican and Central American cuisine, where they are used liberally in sauces, dips and garnishes. The pits and leaves are also used in Mexican cuisine — especially in moles. The dried leaves are usually toasted and pulverized, and the pit grated.
Avocado pairs very well with strong flavors like citrus, alliums (like onions and garlic), chiles, chocolate, coconut, cilantro and tropical fruits like mangoes. They are primarily eaten raw, but cooked avocado dishes, like avocado fries and grilled avocado, do pop up. (Note: Some varieties will become bitter when cooked. Hass avocados are a good choice if you plan to apply a little heat.) Avocado oil has a fairly high smoke point and is tasty drizzled on veggies and in vinaigrettes.
The fruit is incredible in desserts, too, as in vegan chocolate mousse or avocado fudge pops. In many Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam and Indonesia, you’ll find various stripes of avocado milkshake. You can also make delicious, creamy avocado ice cream with or without dairy.
Because the fruit is high in fat, it makes a nice substitution for mayo in sandwiches. You can also make a basic avocado toast and jazz it up in all sorts of ways: a squirt of Sriracha, sliced radishes, chopped tomatoes, hard boiled egg, sesame seeds, you name it.
Pro Tip:
Avocado prep involves a teeny bit of work. A common way of pitting one involves halving the fruit and gently striking the pit with the knife blade, avocado in hand, to twist it out. However, this approach is a leading cause of knife wounds across the palm — so here is an alternative method.
Once pitted, you can peel the skin like you would an orange or scoop out the flesh with a spoon, then slice and dice any way you like. Just make sure you have a little lemon or lime juice on hand: Avocado flesh can turn an unappetizing gray-brown after exposure to the air. Sprinkling a little acid keeps the flesh nice and green.
Nutrition
Avocados are nutritional powerhouses: These fruits are loaded with healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and fiber, including Vitamins C and K, B Vitamins and potassium. They are high in fatty acids (omega-6 and -3), which are important in brain function, metabolism and bone, skin and hair growth. The fats in them may also help promote heart health. Interestingly, people with latex allergies are sometimes allergic to avocados due to cross-reactivity.
Top photo by sherstobitov/Adobe Stock.