Avocados - A Long and Sordid History

"In the center of the fruit is a seed like a peeled chestnut. And between this and the rind is the part which is eaten, which is abundant, and is a paste similar to butter and of very good taste." 1526 Oviedo

Called ahuacatl by the Aztecs, avocados grew wild throughout Central America and Mexico as early as 900 AD.  In fact, archeologists have found pottery with images of avocados from this time period.

Some early cultures ate avocados more for function than taste, believing them to be bland, tasteless fruits.  Understandable, I avoided avocados for years thinking the texture and salt I sprinkled liberally on my avocados to be their only memorable assets.   Shrimp stuffed avocados in Mexico convinced me that avocados are actually a fruit of the gods and I haven't turned one down since.

From these roots, the avocado spread South first separating into three distinct varieties - Guatemalan, Mexican and West Indian. From these original three, over 400 varieties have since evolved.

As the avocado evolved, the name  changed to reflect the shape.  Avocado actually means testicle in reference to the appearance of the fruit.  This unusual shape was something the Native Americans had noticed long before, their functional use of the avocado was often as a sexual stimulant. In fact, avocado replaces a word meaning "testical tree." Spanish Missions even forbid avocado trees because of their implications! Today, we tend to eat them just because they taste good.

I have talked with many people who shy away from avocados because of the "fat." The avocado has a high fat content compared to other fruits. However, what they are missing is the long list of nutritional benefits that far outweigh any problems the fruit may have.  For example, calorie for calorie, avocados are the most energy rich fruit.  For pregnancy cravings, folate is present in each bite.  For the trendy, avocados are packed with antioxidants A, B6 and C. For the athlete, avocados contain more protein than any other fruit. For the ... frustrated, avocados contain no salt and are high in fiber. Oh and that fat? Avocados contain monounsaturated fatty acids   which helps to lower cholesterol while contributing nothing to your bad cholesterol count.  What more could you ask from a fruit?

Still not convinced you want to eat one? The E, B1, B2 and B3 are great externally on your skin!

Enjoy you favorite avocado recipe tonight or try a new one from the box on the right tonight!

Is the aphrodisiac quality of the avocado one of the oldest urban legends or an effective trick?  Let us know what you think!

Read more about Avocados from our RecipeGal to HomeCooking, Peggy Trowbridge

Previous Features

Images from Recipegal