Avocados, the best fruit available

Some interesting facts
Avocados can not only be tossed in salads, but are also used along side a variety of breads, desserts, main dishes and non-culinary creams. They are exceptionally great for exfoliating masks and for facials and body massages. Some people eat avocados with milk and sugar, some mix them with milk, coffee and rum for a cold libation, and even some others puree them with sugar and milk to make a dessert drink. its tree leaves are used in some parts of Mexico too. Both green and dried leaves can be used for wrapping tamales, or seasoning for barbecues and stews. Dried leaves will keep for several months on a tightly-closed container.

The avocado is widely considered a vegetable, since it is commonly used in salads. However, it is actually a fruit that tastes like a vegetable, and most markets display it with other typical fruits. In some areas, it is known as the avocado pear and also the alligator pear due to the pebbly, rough exterior of one of the common types. There are quite a few varieties of avocados, but most cooks develop a preference for a particular breed. The fruit is harvested from tall trees, which grow in groves. The rich, pale yellow-green flesh of the pear-shaped fruit has a texture likened to a firm ripe banana, smooth and buttery, with a faintly nutty flavor. Most are grown in tropical climates, primarily in Mexico, California, Hawaii, and Florida.

Avocado varieties
The fruit is primarily pear-shaped, but some varieties are also almost round. They can weigh from 1 ounce to up to 4 pounds each. Avocados are a cocktail-sized version of the avocado and are about the size of a small gherkin, weighing only about an ounce. The most common types are: Bacon, Fuerte, Gwen, Hass, Pinkerton, Reed, and Zutano, with many chefs having a particular preference for the Hass variety. (These links provide a description and representative pictures to help you distinguish them in the market.) Although the prime season for avocados is late winter/early spring, they are readily available in markets year-round. And now...

Avocado history
The avocado (Persea gratissima or P. americana) gets its name from the Latin American Nahuatl ahuacatl meaning "testicle," referring to its shape. It was discovered in Mexico approximately 291 B.C. The Spanish brought it to the English. The early Spanish explorers discovered the Aztecs enjoying avocados, but it was long considered a tasteless food. The Aztecs also used avocados as a sexual stimulant. The first Florida groves were planted in 1833. Avocados did not become a commercial crop until the early 1900s. Still, except in California, Florida and Hawaii where they were grown, most consumers shied away from the fruit. Finally, in the 1950s it became popular as a salad item, and consumption became more widespread. In 1995, 40.9% of American households consumed avocados. So if you don’t have one in your household, you sure are missing out on something!