This central Mexican fruit belongs to phylum Angiosperms. Binomial name of this fruit is Persea Americana. Its family is called Lauraceae under class Magnoliids.
It is cultivated under tropical climates around the world. The shape of this fruit is similar to pears and the outer skin in of green color. One of its less common variety is also known as criollo.
The word Avocado has been derived from aguacate which has Mexican Spanish roots. In countries like Uruguay, Chile, Argentine etc. it is known by palta which is its Quechua name. It’s Portuguese name is abacate.
About 500 avacados are produced annually by an average avocado tree. Mexico is the largest producer of this fruit followed by Indonesia and United States. California is the center of Avacado production in US.
The taste of fruit has creamy texture. However, it is not sweet. It is used is sweet and sour dishes as well. It has high monosaturated fat content and is used as substitute for meat in vegetarian’s culture. It is also full of fiber which makes it good for digestion process. It also has small quantities of minerals such as magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and zinc. High avocado intake is also considered for lowering blood cholesterol levels.
It is used as the base for the Mexican dip known as guacamole, as well as a spread on corn tortillas or toast, served with spices. It uses also include milkshakes and ice-creams and juices.
