Avocados ~ A Brief History

Humans have had a long relationship with avocados. The earliest written European record dates back to 1518 and evidence of avocado use dating back to 10,000 BCE has been found in a Mexican cave.

A Mexican criollo, the smaller fruit of an undomesticated avocado tree. Photo via AvocadoSource.

Avocados have been called "alligator pears", probably due to the appearance and texture of the skin and it's shape, which resembles a pear. On some sailing vessels they became known as "butter pears" due to their creamy flesh ~ the sailors liked to scoop out the insides and spread it on crusty bread like butter.

The word avocado can be traced back to the Spanish word aguacate, which is a corruption of a Nahuatl (Aztecan) word, ahuacatl. This word translates to "testicle". The wild ancestors of today's avocado were much smaller and slightly rounder. Because they hang together in pairs and bunches on the tree, it is easy to imagine how they brought this body part to mind. The Aztec people considered avocados to be a fertility food.

Indeed, rumors abounded about the avocado when they were brought to the U.S. Many people believed the avocado contained potent properties that would give an eater an uncontainable sexual prowess. Proper men and women refused to be seen buying them in public, lest they be accused of scandal ~ those silly Victorians!

Avocado growers had to launch a public marketing campaign to overcome it's naughty reputation before the fruit could become the popular item it is today. There are still many cultures around the world that believe they increase virility.

Avocados ~ What Are They?

Many people think of avocados as a vegetable, perhaps because of it's green skin and flesh that lacks a sweet taste. However, avocados are actually a fruit. They have thick skin that can range from dark brown to bright green, with yellow and green flesh inside that has a slightly firm, creamy texture which can be easily sliced or mashed.

A ripe, halved avocado fruit with creamy flesh & seed visible. Photo by Manns World.

A tidbit of info about avocados that I found really interesting: the fruit does not begin to ripen until it is picked. Once the fruit reaches maturity it can be left on the tree for months without spoilage. In this way the tree acts as a natural storage "container" and growers can chose when to harvest their crops depending on supply needs and market price. Once mature avocados are picked they will fully ripen within two weeks. It is theorized that a chemical inhibitor released from the stem prevents them from ripening while they are still on the tree.

In Europe and the U.S. avocados are usually treated as a savory ingredient, such as adding them to sandwiches, salads, and chicken dishes or making guacamole. In some countries they are treated as a true fruit and are used in sweet dishes and other desserts. We use them both ways at our house because they are so yummy. The high fat content and creamy texture makes the avocado an excellent addition to smoothies and homemade ice cream. (See my recipe for Dairy-Free Ambrosia).

The fruit grows on the Persea americana tree, which --despite it's name-- originated in Mexico. These trees are now grown around the world in regions with suitable climate and soil.

In the U.S. most avocados are grown in California and they produce the majority of the country's supply. The remainder of avocados eaten in the U.S. mostly come from Florida-grown varieties and fruit imported from Central & South America, particularly Mexico.

This is my first post in the series "Real Food Familiarity Challenge" in which I explore a long list of healthy, real foods in-depth. Read more about the RF2 Challenge.

The Real Food Familiarity Challenge

I want to get to know my ingredients better and get educated on all the nifty little details about the food I eat. I've decided to focus on one fruit, veggie, nut, etc. at a time and really learn about it.

As a foodie interested in cooking, gardening, and nutrition I have all sorts of questions about the foods I use at home and those I don't use (yet) but sometimes see at the market or hear good things about:

• What is its nutritional profile?
• What health benefits does it offer?
• What is the food's history and how has it been used traditionally?
• What are some suggestions on eating, cooking, and storing it?
• Is there a recommended intake? How much should we eat each week?
• Can it be sprouted, fermented, or prepared in a way that makes it more useful to our bodies?
• Where can I buy it? When is it in season?
• Are there any cautions I should be aware of?
• What do I look for when choosing it at the market?
• Are certain varieties better than others?
• What are some tips and ideas for growing it at home or sourcing it locally?
• What other foods does it pair well with?

How well do you know your food?
Photo by Valerie Everett

I'm curious about all these questions and more. Even if I think I know the answers I'm going to research it anyway because in our society there is a lot of misinformation about food and the more I explore on this food adventure the more I realize how much I don't know yet. I don't just want to recognize food by sight or know how to throw it into a recipe ~ I want to have a genuine familiarity with it. My plans are to sort through various resources and pull together a wealth of information about healthy foods to answer my own curiosity and perhaps share some useful information with others, too.

I've started a long list of foods I want to learn more about. Whenever possible I'm going to buy, eat, and/or cook with each food. There's nothing quite like hands-on learning and besides, it's a great excuse to play in the kitchen! This goes along well with my other adventurous food challenge ~ to try a new healthy food or recipe each week. It may take me a while to work down through the entire list but it'll be worth it. I think this challenge will be fun and enlightening!

This week I'm starting with avocados, a family favorite at my house. Other "A" foods I'm interested in learning more about include asparagus, acai, arugula, almonds, apples, aloe vera, apricots, asafoetida, and artichokes. I haven't decided yet whether I'll go from A-Z in order or just explore different foods as they catch my attention (honestly, this sounds more like me). Are there particular foods you'd like to know more about?

The Healthiest Foods On Earth

I'm challenging myself --and my family-- to learn more about the foods we eat and to continue to improve our diet through education. This week I picked up a copy of Johnny Bowden's book The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. It has smooth, glossy pages with bright photographs of beautiful, healthy food accompanied by a few paragraphs about each food, including why he considers it to be one of the healthiest foods to eat.

The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth

The book is divided into various sections -- vegetables, fruit, herbs, etc., with a helpful glossary in the back. It also includes lists of "Top 10 Healthiest Foods" from various nutritionists, doctors, and other people with a strong interest in healthy eating.

I've really enjoyed reading through it and consider it a good addition to my "food library". I recommend it to anyone looking to get started on a wholesome diet or for people who want to step up their nutrition intake -- it's good basic guide on selecting healthy food.

However, I found myself left wanting... it just didn't contain the amount of information I'd hope for. I had so many unanswered questions, like how to correctly prepare some of these foods at home and how to tell if food is ripe and fresh at the market. As visually appealing and interesting as the book was, I was disappointed it didn't offer more details.

During another trip to the bookstore I found dozens of other potentially informative books in the diet and nutrition section (one of my favorite aisles to browse). I flipped through most of them, trying to find a comprehensive book that would cover real food in-depth. I know there must be one, but perhaps it just wasn't on the shelves at that particular bookstore because I came away empty handed. Some offered detailed nutritional analysis in charts and graphs (including lots of material for tracking calories of heavily processed items and fast food menus), others had advice on using supplements for various healthy issues, and quite a few discussed allowable foods in terms of various diets. Not what I was looking for.

Very few were written from a whole foods perspective and unfortunately those that were didn't focus on just food -- they also devoted large chapters to related topics like exercise advice and achieving emotional balance. I know total wellness involves many faucets of life and food is not the full picture -- physical fitness, restful sleep, relationship health, and making wise financial decisions are important, too, but for crying out loud, can't a girl just find a great book that focuses solely on real food?