AVOCADO – Introduction

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Avocados were widely cultivated in tropicalAmericaas individual seedling trees before the Spanish conquest but did not receive serious horticultural attention until about 1900, when horticulturists found that production of grafted trees was simple and allowed perpetuation of superior seedlings and the establishment of orchards.

Flourishing industries developed inFloridaandCalifornia, inSouth Africa, and on a somewhat smaller scale inChile,Brazil,Hawaii,Australia, and some islands of the Pacific.Mexico, where avocados are extremely popular, produces large quantities annually; commercial plantings have been made inIsrael, and they are also planted in other countries around theMediterranean.Mexicois the world’s leading producer of Hass avocados.

Avocado is quoted by the Guinness Book of records as being “the most nutritious fruit known to man”. It is native to tropical and subtropical regions of Mesoamerica i.e. Central and South America. Its natural range covers diverse environmental conditions from the central highlands of Mexico where frosts occur to the rain forests of northwest.

Fossil evidence indicates that the avocado may have originated in West Africa during the Paleocene Age and spreads to Asia, South America, Europe and then to North America. As such, the avocado has been cultivated by the Aztecs in tropical America since pre-Columbian times – indeed, archeologists have found avocado seeds buried with Peruvian mummies dating from the 8th century B.C. Again it was discovered in Mexico approximately 291 B.C. Avocado only became a worldwide commercial crop in the early 1900.

Avocados are commonly made into the Mexican dip guacamole, which is a mixture of mashed avocado, lime juice, minced onion, tomatoes and peppers. However, avocados can also be added to salads and sandwiches, or mixed in with sauces. Mashed avocado make a delightful spread over toast and bagels, a nice addition a top a baked potato, and are a much healthier substitute for butter, margarine or sour cream. Other inventive uses for avocados include a “twist” on deviled eggs (fill the egg white halves with guacamole instead of egg yolk and mayonnaise); use mashed avocado on a baked potato instead of sour cream; and sprinkle diced avocado over scrambled eggs in place of cheese.

Various countries in the world also have their uses for the avocado:

In Brazil, avocado is sometimes added to ice cream.

In Columbia and Ecuador, avocados are sliced into soups

In Cuba, avocados are mashed with capers, pimento, green olives, lime juice and olive oil; then served with poached fish.

Filipinos puree avocados with sugar and milk to make a sweet drink.

French Caribbean’s blend avocados with salt cod, cassava meal, garlic and coconut and serve them as a dip.

Mexicans add avocados to soft tacos, and also refer to them as “butterfruit” because they mash and use them as butter.

In Indonesia, avocados are mixed with milk, coffee and rum to make a cold drink

In Jamaica, avocados are flavored with lime juice and Scotch Bonnet chilies to make a cold avocado soup.

The Japanese eat avocados in sushi rolls.

In Korea, avocados are mixed with milk for use in facials and body massages.

In Latin America, the avocado is sometimes wrapped as a wedding gift.

In Nicaragua, avocados are stuffed with cheese, then are battered, browned and baked.

In Taiwan, avocados are eaten with milk and sugar.

The avocado produces estragol (an oil) in the leaves that is used in the cosmetics industry and also has insecticidal properties. The fruit has the highest energy content of any fruit and is high in its vitamin and mineral content, as well as a good source of mono-unsaturated fat, and soluble and insoluble fibers. In poor areas of the New andOld World (where it is now widely cultivated), it known as “poor man’s butter”. It is eaten fresh, chiefly in salads and guacamole (i.e. a sauce, made from avocados).

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