History
The avocado was first introduced into the European diet by Hernando Cortez in 1519. Cortez was a Spanish soldier who travelled to Mexico City and found that the avocado was a staple in the Mexican diet. In 1526, a conquistador historian wrote of the avocado saying it had a texture like butter and a very good taste. The avocado is native to the lands of Central America and Mexico and even spans into parts of northern South America and Peru. However, thanks to Carl Schmidt, the state of California has now become the largest producer of avocados, producing about 95% of the world’s avocados!
Back in 1911, twenty-one-year-old Carl Schmidt was sent to Mexico by the West Indian Nursery in Altadena, California to research which avocado trees would be most able to withstand the California weather and soil. Schmidt found the Fuerte tree to be the hardiest, thriving through the great California freeze in 1913. Since then, California became a large producer of avocados. The state of Florida is also a large producer of avocados as well.
The original name given to the avocado by the Aztecs was ahuacatl. However, it has different names if you travel to different parts of the world. For instance Chile, Peru, and Ecuador refer to the avocado as Palta. In West Africa, it is known as custard apple in France, avocat, and in Spain, abogado. Historians believe that most of these names came about by trying to phonetically pronounce the Aztec name ahuacatl.
And by the way, did you know that an avocado is actually a fruit and not a vegetable?
Adapted from the California Avocado Commission
Nutrition
You may have heard that avocados are bad for you due to their high fat content, but this is not true. A one ounce serving of avocado contains 5 grams of fat, the majority of which is monounsaturated. Studies have shown that small amounts of monounsaturated fats in the diet can decrease the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer. Avocados are a great source of monounsaturated fat along with olive and canola oils. However, it is important to keep in mind that sources of monounsaturated fats are still high in calories and should be consumed in moderation.
Avocados are also a great source of potassium. One whole avocado contains approximately 60% more potassium than one banana. Potassium is important in keeping the heart and blood vessels healthy because it helps lower blood pressure.
Nutrient Analysis of a 1 ounce serving (or 1/8) of an avocado: calories: 50, fat: 5g, saturated fat: <1g, monounsaturated fat: 3g, polyunsaturated fat: <1g, protein: <1g, carbohydrate: 2g, cholesterol: 0g, sodium: 3mg, potassium: 180mg, fiber: 1g