From scandal to redemption

Art Culinaire, Summer, 2009

The avocado is one of the most rare and pleasant fruits of the island. It nourisheth and strengtheneth the body: corroborating the spirits and procuring lust exceedingly.

- W. HUGHES, PHYSICAN TO KING CHARLES II OF ENGLAND

Less than a century ago, Americans concerned with protecting their images would never dream of purchasing an avocado. For centuries, the buttery fruit with its leathery skin and oversized, pit was considered a sexual stimulant. The avocado was an integral part of ancient. Aztec fertility ceremonies, and even its name speaks volumes to its lusty past. The Mexican Nahuatl people named the avocado "ahuacatl," or testicle. Unable to pronounce this word, Spanish conquistadors called it "aguacate," from which the word avocado is derived. It took a massive marketing campaign in the early part of the twentieth century to convince Americans that there was more to derive from the avocado than sexual prowess.

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The virtuous but finicky AVOCADO tree

Native to Mexico and Central America, the avocado tree is a variety of evergreen that can grow up to 65 feet tall and requires a subtropical climate to survive. These trees have been cultivated since at least 3,500 B.C., and possibly as early as 8,000 B.C. One theory suggests that the avocado is an "evolutionary anachronism," a fruit that survives based upon its relationship to an animal which distributes the fruits' whole seeds in its feces. Since there is no living species large enough to tolerate an avocado pit, if this theory is true, the avocado depended upon an extinct species such as the giant sloth for its survival. Therefore, had it not been for humanity's cultivation of the avocado tree, the avocado, which is actually a giant berry, might have met the same fate as the giant sloth.

A single avocado tree can produce annually up to 500 pieces of fruit, but the average tree bears some 150 avocados. The trees are notoriously difficult to breed because of their limited ability to cross-pollinate and their long juvenile period of between four to six years. Even if avocado trees bore no fruit, the painstaking cultivation effort is worth it. A single avocado tree annually absorbs the carbon emitted by a car driven 26,000 miles and produces 260 pounds of oxygen. An avocado grove the size of one acre rids the planet of 2.6 tons of carbon dioxide per year.

To ripen or not to ripen

Like the banana, the avocado is a "climacteric fruit" in that it will not ripen on its tree. The tree can serve as an indefinite storage device for its fruit for up to several months. Once harvested, the avocado ripens quickly due to its high metabolic rate. Ethylene gas, a plant hormone; further speeds up the maturation process. Placing an avocado in a paper bag with a banana, which is a strong emitter of ethylene, will ripen the avocado in one to two days.

Refrigerating an unripe avocado damages its cellular structure and inhibits the ripening process, but refrigeration after the fruit ripens will extend its shell-life for as long as a week. The ideal storage temperature for an avocado is between 60-75 degrees. Avocados ripen from the base to the neck, and a ripe avocado should be slightly soft, with skin that is free of cracks or indentations. If the pit rattles when the avocado is shaken, it's an indication of an overripe fruit. An avocado with a slight neck most likely fully matured on its tree and will yield superior flavor.

From the few come the many

The avocado is a member of the laurel family, which also includes bay laurel, sassafras and cinnamon. The fruit's anise-kissed aroma and tasting notes are derived from terpine, an essential oil also present in resin and turpentine.

Although there are over 500 avocado varieties, they are all hybrids of three types: the Mexican, the Guatemalan and the Caribbean. Both the Mexican and the Guatemalan varieties tend to be pear-shaped with greenish-yellow flesh. The Mexican avocado, which is best able to withstand cooler temperatures, is generally -smooth-skinned and green in color. Mexican avocados have a lower fat content than the Guatemalan, which has black, pebbly skin and is most susceptible to cold. Due to its shape and bumpy texture, Guatemalan avocados were sometimes referred to in the early [20.sup.th] century as "alligator pears". Caribbean avocados are more fibrous, larger and less flavorful than the Mexican and the Guatemalan. Most Florida hybrids are derived from this species, Since their flesh is less creamy due to a lower fat content, this fruity tasting variety is ideal for slicing.

Mexican varieties include Zutano. Bacon and the Fuerte, a Mexican-Guatemalan hybrid. "Fuerte" means "strong," and is an appropriate moniker for this avocado. In 1913, a freeze chilled California and decimated every avocado tree except for a single Fuerte, from which all contemporary Fuerte avocados are descended. It has a sweet, nutty flavor and its matte skin makes it unique among smooth-skinned varieties, which tend to have a shiny exterior.