“But, except in jest, I don’t think a Nahua would imagine āhuacamōlli to be anything other than mashed up avocado.”. They are also commonly added to pozole. The same happened with āhuacatl, which was revised and ended up losing its reproductive connotation in the process. Avocado, chocolate, and more The English word avocado is a transliteration first used in the late 1600s of the Spanish word aguacate, which came from the Nahuatl name for the indigenous fruit, āhuacatl.A corruption of aguacate led to another term for the fruit, alligator pear, and because of the shape of the fruit, avocado pear is a term used in British English. ", "Gil Henry dies at 88; revolutionized avocado industry; Henry pioneered the use of a 'ripening room' at his family's Escondido farm. [41], Indoors, an avocado tree is usually grown from the pit of an avocado fruit. Avocados are also used to make salads. [87][88], Species of flowering plant in the laurel family Lauraceae, Avocado-related international trade issues, intermingled in a trade or cultural sense, but not necessarily a genetic one. [27] Because the word avogato sounded like "advocate", several languages reinterpreted it to have that meaning. The word “avocado” is believed to be derived from the Nahuatl word ahuacatl, which means “testicle” and obviously describes the shape of the fruit. The … It turns out that the translation is one of the yesteryear, and \"avocado\" isn't a synonym for the gonads after all. In Spanish, “ ahuácatl ” became “aguacate” and eventually “avogato” and then “avocado”. Prime quality varieties are therefore propagated by grafting to rootstocks that are propagated by seed (seedling rootstocks) or by layering (clonal rootstocks). Avocado, also called alligator pear, fruit of Persea americana of the family Lauraceae, a tree native to the Western Hemisphere from Mexico south to the Andean regions. Avocados also contain phytosterols and carotenoids, such as lutein and zeaxanthin.[73]. The Chilean version of Caesar salad contains large slices of mature avocado. In Step Wise Protocols for Somatic Embryogenesis of Important Woody Plants, pp. Word Origin mid 17th cent. Back then, avocados were called the Nahuatl word āhuacatl—which also happened to mean “testicles.” Scholars think the Nahua chose the name because of the fruit has a, uh, suggestive shape and was considered an aphrodisiac, according to NPR. The plant was introduced to Spain in 1601, Indonesia around 1750, Mauritius in 1780, Brazil in 1809, the United States mainland in 1825, South Africa and Australia in the late 19th century, and the Ottoman Empire in 1908. The word ahuacatl was compounded with others, as in ahuacamolli, meaning "avocado soup or sauce," from which the Spanish-Mexican word guacamole derives. Generally, avocado is served raw, though some cultivars, including the common 'Hass', can be cooked for a short time without becoming bitter. In Kenya and Nigeria, the avocado is often eaten as a fruit alone or mixed with other fruits in a fruit salad, or as part of a vegetable salad. Janzen, Daniel H., and Paul S. Martin. There are some reasons to think that the fruit, with its mildly toxic pit, may have coevolved with Pleistocene megafauna to be swallowed whole and excreted in their dung, ready to sprout. The pit germinates in normal soil conditions or partially submerged in a small glass (or container) of water. Guacamole (Spanish: [(ɡ)wakaˈmole] (listen); (informally shortened to guac in the United States[1] since the 1980s)[2] is an avocado-based dip, spread, or salad first developed in Mexico. [60] Known in the avocado industry as "cukes", they are usually discarded commercially due to their small size. In the latter method, the pit sprouts in four to six weeks, at which time it is planted in standard houseplant potting soil. Back then, avocados were called the Nahuatl word … It's unknown whether that name came from the way that the avocado hangs from the tree in pairs, or if it was a reference to the aphrodisiac quality of the food. In Morocco, a similar chilled avocado and milk drink is sweetened with confectioner's sugar and flavored with a touch of orange flower water. "For coming up with the greatest avocado in the world, my father's royalties totaled 4,800 bucks over the life of the patent," the younger Hass told the newspaper. Equality vs. Equity: What’s the Difference? [84], In 1982, evolutionary biologist Daniel H. Janzen concluded that the avocado is an example of an 'evolutionary anachronism', a fruit adapted for ecological relationship with now-extinct large mammals (such as giant ground sloths or gomphotheres). From their origins in Mexico and Central America, avocado trees have been imported and bred in many other tropical and Mediterranean countries throughout the world. According to information published by the Water Footprint Network, it takes an average of approximately 70 litres (18 US gallons) of applied fresh ground or surface water, not including rainfall or natural moisture in the soil, to grow one avocado. [74] For a typical avocado: Although costly to produce, nutrient-rich avocado oil has diverse uses for salads or cooking and in cosmetics and soap products. Avocado definition, a large, usually pear-shaped fruit having green to blackish skin, a single large seed, and soft, light-green pulp, borne by the tropical American tree Persea americana and its variety P. adrymifolia, often eaten raw In a 100 gram reference amount, avocado supplies 160 calories, and is a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of several B vitamins (such as 28% DV in pantothenic acid) and vitamin K (20% DV), with moderate contents (10-19% DV) of vitamin C, vitamin E, and potassium. Avocado is the official fruit of the state of California.[50]. The word ahuacatl was compounded with others, as in ahuacamolli, meaning "avocado soup or sauce," from which the Spanish-Mexican word guacamole derives. 305-328. We recommend our users to update the browser. avocado toast definition: 1. a food consisting of crushed avocado (= the pale green flesh of a fruit with thick, dark green…. But Mesoamerican language specialist Frances Karttunen, PhD, says that isn’t quite accurate. [3] In addition to its use in modern Mexican cuisine, it has become part of international and American cuisine as a dip, condiment and salad ingredient. To the Aztec, avocados, which grow in pairs, were symbols of love and fertility. Not only are they chock-full of good fats that keep your heart healthy and cut your cancer risk, but they taste dang delicious. This aphrodisiac fruit from south Central Mexico was used by the Incas in Peru and sold in Mexican markets. [52] Peru's location near the equator and along the Pacific Ocean creates consistently mild temperatures all year. [2] The fruit of domestic varieties has a buttery flesh when ripe. [8] In 2019, Mexico was the world's leading producer of avocados, supplying 32% of the global total. Join us on an excursion into the world of eight common words' delightfully convoluted backstories. The avocado is unusual in that the timing of the male and female flower phases differs among cultivars. The avocado tree has been traced back over 10 000 years, to the ancient civilisations of Guatemala and Mexico. [2], The avocado tree can be grown domestically and used as a decorative houseplant. 1 (1982): 20-24. [33] Biennial bearing can be a problem, with heavy crops in one year being followed by poor yields the next. Avocado trees are partially self-pollinating, and are often propagated through grafting to maintain predictable fruit quality and quantity. The earliest known written use in English is attested from 1697 as "avogato pear", a term which was later corrupted as "alligator pear". Avocados in savory dishes, often seen as exotic, are a relative novelty in Portuguese-speaking countries, such as Brazil, where the traditional preparation is mashed with sugar and lime, and eaten as a dessert or snack. Guac didn’t come around until the fruit became aguacate, and that Spanish translation didn’t carry the same double meaning the Nahuatl word did. It is normally found on avocado, and in Peru it is said to be the worst insect pest of the fruit. There are tons of reasons to love avocados. [64] To prevent this, lime or lemon juice can be added to avocados after peeling. To Whom It May Concern: What It Means and How to Use It, Do Not Sell My Personal Information – CA Residents. But they might take on a new giggle-worthy meaning when you learn their backstory. : from Spanish, alteration (influenced by avocado ‘advocate’) of aguacate, from Nahuatl ahuacatl. More avocado facts to drop at your next party: The Aztec word for avocado, ahuacatl means “testicle”. [68] In Haiti, they are often consumed with cassava or regular bread for breakfast. Avocado slices are frequently added to hamburgers, tortas, hot dogs, and carne asada. The subtropical species needs a climate without frost and with little wind. Commercially, the fruits are ripened after harvesting. [34] The use of an ethylene gas "ripening room", which is now an industry standard, was pioneered in the 1980s by farmer Gil Henry of Escondido, California, in response to footage from a hidden supermarket camera which showed shoppers repeatedly squeezing hard, unripe avocados, putting them "back in the bin," and moving on without making a purchase. It is thought that the reference is either due to the avocado’s shape or the fact that it was considered to possess aphrodisiac qualities by the Aztecs. The avocado (Persea americana), a tree likely originating from south central Mexico, is classified as a member of the flowering plant family Lauraceae. Learn more. [85][86] Most large fleshy fruits serve the function of seed dispersal, accomplished by their consumption by large animals. 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