Avocionado
noun
: a coined expression meaning a person, especially a millennial, who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about avocados.
Although the avocado is now heralded as a superfood and adored by millennials and dieticians alike, it wasn’t always the case. Indeed, many of the older generations would remember life before avocados – sad as that may seem! Although these green fruits with their rich and creamy texture were first discovered in Southern Mexico by European explorers right back in the 1500s, it wasn’t until much later they become an everyday lunch staple of the western world.
When they finally made their way north and reached California in the 1900s, farmers in the Golden State recognised their potential but realised they would need to give the fruits a name if they were to become a success. The Spanish name Ahuacate was hard to pronounce and another suggestion of ‘Alligator Pear’, inspired by the familiar pear shape and knobbly skin, was unappealing. When one far-sighted farmer suggested ‘Avocado’ the name stuck and, with some creative marketing, avocados quickly took over the produce aisle. Since then the knobbly pears have never looked back. The 1970s saw Mexican cuisine rapidly increase in popularity, from taquitos and burritos to guacamole and enchiladas, and demand for avocados skyrocketed in its wake. Then, in the 1990s, the world woke up to health and wellness and we all became nutritionists with our new-found knowledge. The humble avocado took a new leap forward as a superfood and remains one of the top 10 most healthy foods. Not surprising considering the creamy goodness contains nearly 20 vitamins and minerals while being cholesterol-free, sodium-free, a good source of fibre, and guilt-free good fats, as any avocionado will tell you.
The worst fear of an avocionado is missing that moment of perfect creamy ripeness, so to avoid this buy your avocados four to five days before you intend to use them, when they are firm and bright green and store them at room temperature. Once ripened, slather the green goodness on your morning toast, put it in smoothies, or mash it into velvety guacamole. Enjoy it in sushi and salads, raw and seasoned on a charcuterie board, or frozen in a delicious ice cream. On the rare occasion that you don’t use all the avocado at once you can brush the cut surface with a little lemon juice, olive oil or even water to retain the freshness.
So, to all the avocionados out there, viva los avocados as they say in Mexico!
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