Butter Avacado
Avacado
Taxonomy: Angiosperms: Lauraceae: Persea americana. Common names: palka, aguacate, butter pear, alligator pear.
Avacado is a native tree common to tropical areas, especially the Carribean, Mexico, South America, Central America, Florida, New Mexico, and California. Of the Lauraceae family, it is related with cinnamon, camphor, and bay laurel. The common term “Avacado” refers to the fruit as well of the tree that is egg-shaped or spherical and contains a really hard pit in its center. The word comes from the Nahuatl word ahuacatl (meaning ‘testicle’). In some South American countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay it is known as the “Palta” which comes from its Quechua name. This is a valuable cash-crop from the tropical climates that produces a green-skinned, pear-shaped fruit that ripens after harvesting. Trees are self-pollinating and often propagated through grafting to maintain a predictable quantity and quality of the fruit through harvest. Trees grow up to 20 m (69 feet) with alternately arranged leaves 12 centimetres (4.7 in) to 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) long. The flowers are inconspicuous, greenish-yellow, 5 millimeters (.2 inches) – 10 millimeters (.4 inches) wide. The pear-shaped fruit is 7 centimeters (2.8 inches) – 20 centimeters (7.9 inches) long, weighing between 100 grams (3.5 oz) – 1,000 grams (35 oz), with a large 5-7 centimeter seed in its center. Each region with avacados has its own type of cultivars. The Avacado is a climacteric fruit meaning it matures on the tree but ripens off the tree. Can only partially self-pollinate making the species difficult to breed. Flesh of fruit is greenish to golden yellow when ripe. Avacados are the fattiest fruits on earth.
History::
As far as we can determine, the Avacado appeared in human use as early as 900 A.D. with the finding of a avacado shaped water jar in the pre-Incan city of Chan Chan. Other histories in Central and South America refer to its use. First European use was by Martin Fernandez de Enciso (1470-1528) as mentioned in his book ‘Suma de Geografia que Trata de Todas las Partidas y Provincias del Mundo’. Avacado was next mentioned by Hans Sloane in a 1696 Jamaican plant index. Indonesia received their first avacados in 1750, Brazil in 1809, the Levant in 1908, and South Africa and Australia in the late 19th century.
Folklore and Magical beliefs::
Aztecs believed Avacados were the fertility fruit.
Culinary:
Avacados are very expensive in the United States because most of those consumed are grown exclusively in California (90% of US Crop) and Florida. Avacados can be found cheaply in other countries. Though the U.S. does provide more than 40% of worldwide avacado exports. In Indonesia a avacado milkshake with chocolate syrup is a common delicacy. Popular in vegetarian cooking as a meat substitute because of its high fat content. Used in the Mexican dip called Guacamole which consists of primarily mashed avacado. It is used as a filling for California Rolls and other kinds of sushi. Popular in Chicken dishes, as a bread spread served with salt and pepper, especially in Australia and New Zealand. Popular in ice cream and other desserts. Brazil, Vietnam, and the Phillipines make a dessert drink consisting of sugar, water (or milk), and pureed avacado, sometimes adding chocolate syrup. In Mexico and Central America it is commonly served mixed with rice, soups, salads, on on the side of meat. People of Peru sometimes consume avacados with tequenos as mayonnaise, served as a side dish with parrillas, salads, sandwiches, or as a whole dish when filled with tuna, shrimp, or chicken. Chile often uses it as a puree in chicken, hamburgers, hotdogs, or in slices for celery or salads. Avacados are often eaten alone as a fruit, sometimes mixed with olive oil, lemon juice, or other fruits.
Medicinal/Health:
These fruits are incredibly concentrated source of goof for you mono-unsaturated fat. The Hass variety (California) is fattier than the Florida varieties. They also contain more soluable fiber and protein than any other fruit. A medium avacado has more potassium than a banana. Even though a fatty fruit, they can lower your cholesterol. By replacing 5 percent of your calories from saturated fat (butter/cheese) with mono-unsaturated fat (avacado) can slash risk of heart attack by a 1/3. Medically has shown to affect blood serum cholesterol levels if high intake. After a 7-day avacado rich diet, hypercholesterolemia patients showed a 17% decrease in total serum cholesterol levels, a 22% decrease in both LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglyceride levels, and 11% increase in HDL (good cholesterol) levels. The fruit has a markedly higher fat content than most other fruit, mostly monounsaturated fat, and as such serves as an important staple in the diet of various groups where access to other fatty foods (high-fat meats and fish, dairy, etc) is limited. (USDA) They are also high in beta-sitosterol, that blocks the absorption of cholesterol from food and contains the anti-cancer compound glutathione, a powerful antioxidant. In Iran, it is used as a rejuvenating facial cream. Avacados are rich in A & B vitamins, vitamin E, and K. Mexican researchers found that diabetes patients were able to lower their blood sugar while eating diets rich in avacados and olive oil. A typical Hass avacado has approximately 227 calories. An avacado has approximately 875 milligrams of potassium so can help fight fatigue, muscle weakness, or exhaustion. Avacados have been found to help fight the risk of gallstones because its fats stimulate the gallbladder to contract, and can help keep the bile moving. It can also prevent gout attacks. Avacados can improve insulin sensitivity.
Cultivation:
Pits will sprout in a container of water within 4-6 weeks. After which it needs to be planted in fertile soil. It needs another plant to cross pollinate. Needs a climate without frost and little wind. High winds reduce humity, dehydrate the flowers, and affects its pollination. Flowering is very important. Trees need well aerated soils, ideally more than 1 meter deep. Yield is reduced with salinity in the soil. Best to avoid. Average avacado trees produce over 120 avacados annually per tree. Pick while mature, hard and green, keep cool around 38-42 degrees fahrenheit, until reaching final destination during shipping and harvest. Propogation best done via grafting, having originated from random seedling plants. Tree requires frequent, deep watering particularly from spring to fall.
Safety:
Avacado bark, leaves, skin, or pit is known to be toxic to various animals such as cats, dogs, cattle, goats, rabbits, rats, birds, fish, and horses causing sickness or death. The fruit has been found to be poisonous to some birds. However, Avacado is an ingredient in AvoDerm dog food and cat food. The leaves contain a toxic fatty acid derivative known as persin which in sufficient quantity can cause equine colic and death. Symptoms can include gastrointestinal irritation, vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory distress, congestion, fluid accumulation around the tissues of the heart, and even death. Birds are particularly sensitve to this toxic compound. Negative effects in humans only seem to be in particular allergic individuals.
Butter Avacado
Butter Avacado
My first Butter Avacado was in Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii on Wednesday, August 6, 2009. Soft and tender, oily, and smooth, tasty and sweet. Just like sweet butter. A new favorite of mine. If anyone can find particular information on the “Butter Avacado” I’d be greatly appreciative.
Recipes:
- Avacado and nettle moisturizer (Readers Digest)
(for oily skins)
1 tsp beeswax, 2 tsp emulsifying wax, 8 tsp hazelnut oil, 4 tsp avacado oil, 1/8 tsp borax, 2 tbsp strong nettle infusion, warm; 4 drops cedarwood essential oil
(1) Melt the waxes together. warm the oils and gradually beat them into the waxes. (2) dissolve the borax in the warm infusion. slowly beat this into the first mixture. (3) allow to cool, then mix in the essential oil. spoon into jars and label.
Bibliography/References:
- “Avocado: The Early Roots of Avocado History”. Barry, PC (2001-04-07). Canku Ota. http://www.turtletrack.org/Issues01/Co04072001/CO_04072001_Recipes.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-29.
- “Avocado Fun Facts”. California Avocado Commission. http://www.avocado.org/about/fun_facts. Retrieved 2008-06-03.
- “Avocado History”. IndexFresh.com. Bloomington, CA: Index Fresh Avocado. 2007. http://www.indexfresh.com/avocado_history.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-29.
- “Avocados, raw, California”. NutritionData.com. 2007. http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c20Tk.html. Retrieved 2007-12-29.
- “Food Cures: Breakthrough Nutritional Prescriptions for Everything from Colds to Cancer”; Readers Digest; 2007 (Pleasantville, New York). ISBN: 978-0-7621-0730-8.
- “Herbs” (RD Home Handbooks) by Lesley Bremness; Reader’s Digest; 1990 (Pleasantville, New York). ISBN: 0-89577-355-4.
- “Notes on poisoning: avocado”. Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility. 2006-06-30. http://www.cbif.gc.ca/pls/pp/ppack.info?p_psn=238&p_type=all&p_sci=comm&p_x=px. Retrieved 2007-12-29.
- “Tracing the geographic origins of major avocado cultivars”. Chen H, Morrell PL, Ashworth VE, de la Cruz M, Clegg MT. J Hered. 2009;100(1):56-65. http://jhered.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/esn068
- Wikipedia: Avacado: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avocado
