Avocado

   Michelle and I spent a week in Todos Santos, in southern Baja California, Mexico, savoring tamales, black beans and rice, and fish tacos, made from the fresh daily catch.  Predawn fishermen would brave the aggressive Pacific surf in small panga boats, bringing home a bounty of marlin, wahoo, dorado, bonita, tuna, grouper, bass, barracuda, cod, mackerel and selling to the small markets and food stalls.  We ate at Tres Hermanos, their pompano fare wrapped in freshly made stone oven-baked tortillas with avocado.  Each bite issued sauce dripping down your chin.

   Nestled in a fertile spring-fed valley under the majestic Sierra Laguna Mountains, farming thrives.  Intricate and clever irrigation channels feed the numerous fields and gardens.   Among the produce papaya, mango, chile peppers, olives, grapes, tomatoes and avocado.  The walk to the beach was lined with avocado trees exploding with fruit.  The temptation to grab one off the branch was almost irresistible, albeit abandoned lest risking an angry Spanish upbraiding.

    Known as palta or aguacate (Spanish), butter pear or alligator pear, the avocado tree is native to the Caribbean, Mexico, South America and Central America, classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae. The name "avocado" also refers to the fruit which is technically a large berry.  The word comes from the Nahuatl word a-huacatl meaning "testicle", a reference to its shape.          

    High avocado intake has been shown to have an effect on blood serum cholesterol levels, boosting HDL or high-density lipoprotein which protects against heart disease.  They also have 60% more potassium than bananas. Rich in B vitamins, as well as vitamin E and vitamin K they have the highest fiber of fruits as well as the most protein.

    Found in salsa, on sandwiches and salads, or scrambled with eggs, the most popular manifestation , of course, is guacamole.  Of Aztec origin, guacamole was originally made by mashing ripe avocados, with a molcajete (mortar and pestle) and adding tomatoes and salt. After the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, guacamole became popular in Spain. The name guacamole comes from an Aztec dialect a-huacamolli, from a-huacatl (avocado) and molli (sauce). Ripe avocados, onions, lime or lemon juice, and salt are common to most recipes. The citrus juice is added for flavor, and to slow the enzyme causing browning. Other common ingredients include black pepper, chili pepper, garlic, cilantro, bell pepper, jalapeno,  parsley and garlic. 

    Generally available year round, enjoying classic guacamole is simple:

1 avocado (sliced around its longer circumference, pit removed, flesh scooped into a bowl)

juice of one lime, perhaps some zest

salt and pepper

With a potato masher or fork combine the first two ingredients, then season to taste, and serve with crackers, tortilla chips or even a crudite of vegetables.