20 Facts About AvocadosAvocados are native to Central and South America, where they have been cultivated for over 10,000 years. Another name for the avocado is the alligator pear, so-called because of its alligator skin texture and pear shape. The Aztec word for avocado was ahuacatl, which means testicle tree. Spanish explorers could not pronounce ahuacatl, so they called the avocado aguacate. This is the origin of the word guacamole. The origin of guacamole is the Aztec avocado sauce called ahuaca-hulli. Avocados were first introduced to the United States in 1871, when Judge R.B. Ord planted three trees in Santa Barbara, California. Aside from the United States and Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, and Colombia are the worlds top producing countries. One tree can produce between 150 and 500 avocados per year. The average avocado contains 300 calories and 30 grams of healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat. Avocados have the highest protein content of any fruit. Avocados contain more potassium than bananas. One avocado contains 81 mcg of lutein, an important nutrient for healthy eyes. Once an avocado is picked, it takes between 7 and 10 days to ripen. Keeping it in the refrigerator will slow down the ripening process, while putting it in a paper bag with a ripe apple will speed up the process. On average, 53.5 million pounds of guacamole are eaten every Super Bowl Sunday, enough to cover a football field more than 20 feet thick. Want to make preparing guacamole for your next party easier? Check out Avocado Tools for the best avocado mashers, slicers, and dicers.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Sep 2014 13:17:20 +0000
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