The avocado is the fruit of the avocado tree. It is known for its high content of unsaturated fatty acids.
Here’s what you should know about the avocado
The avocado is best known for its high content of unsaturated fats. Together with the olive, it is one of the fruits with the highest fat content. The avocado tree, which can grow up to 15 meters high, originally comes from southern Mexico. There it was already cultivated more than 10,000 years ago by the Indians of the Coxcatlán culture. In the course of the 19th century, the avocado reached Chile, Madeira and the Caribbean with the Spanish. Only since the beginning of the 20th century has the avocado also been cultivated in the Mediterranean region. There are over 400 cultivars worldwide, grown in Israel, southern Spain, Chile, California, Peru, New Zealand and Australia. The avocado tree is evergreen and prefers to grow in warm and dry areas. The dark green leaves can grow up to 50 centimeters long. The small yellowish or greenish flowers are in terminal or lateral inflorescences. The avocado tree bears fruit for the first time only after four years. The avocado fruit is actually a berry. It is oval or pear-shaped and has a leathery skin. This is dark green or medium green in color. Because of its outer skin, the acovado is also called an alligator pear. The name avocado comes from the word ahuavatl. In Nahuatl, ahuavatl means testicle. Over the centuries, it became the Spanish word avocado. Beneath the leathery outer skin sits the greenish-yellow to golden-yellow flesh. Inside the fruit is a golf ball-sized hard pit. The weight of the avocado fruit can vary. In the German trade, the avocado variety Fuerte is mostly offered. The fruits reach a weight of 200 to 450 grams. Avocados of the Hass variety weigh between 150 and 400 grams. Seedless avocados are produced from the unfertilized blossoms of the Fuerte variety. These are also called avocaditos or mini avocados. They are only about five centimeters in size. Avocados from tropical countries usually grow much larger. Fruits of the Choquette or Pollock variety can weigh up to three kilograms. The fruits offered in stores are usually still unripe. However, avocados never ripen on the tree. They fall to the ground in an unripe state. The avocado belongs to the climacteric fruits. This means that the fruits are still ripening even when they are already off the tree.
Importance for health
The avocado contains many essential vitamins. Due to its high fat content, it ensures that the fat-soluble vitamins it contains can also be well absorbed in the digestive tract. Vitamins from other fruits combined with avocado are also absorbed 50 to 100 percent better. Vitamin A from avocado is involved in blood formation and promotes the formation and regeneration of the skin. Vitamin A also plays an important role in the visual process. A deficiency of vitamin A can lead to night blindness. Bones and teeth also benefit from vitamin A. Like vitamin A, lutein from avocado is also involved in the vision process. Lutein can prevent the development of some eye diseases. Many people are initially put off by the high fat content of avocado. However, unsaturated fatty acids are known to have a positive effect on fat metabolism and cholesterol levels. Especially if you have high cholesterol, it is recommended to replace unhealthy fats from sausage, cheese or margarine with the healthy fats of avocado.
Ingredients and nutritional values
| Nutritional information |
Amount per 100 gram |
| Calories 160 | Fat content 15 g |
| Cholesterol 0 mg |
Sodium 7 mg |
| Potassium 485 mg | Carbohydrates 9 g |
| Protein 2 g |
Dietary fiber 7 g |
The avocado is best known for its high content of unsaturated fats. Together with the olive, it is one of the fruits with the highest fat content. There are about 40 grams of fat and 400 calories in a medium-sized fruit. A large part of the fats is formed by the linoleic acid. However, the avocado is not only rich in fat, but also in vitamins. If the fruit is eaten together with some freshly squeezed lemon juice, it will cover the entire daily requirement of vitamin C. Furthermore, the avocado contains folic acid, magnesium, copper, iron, vitamin E, vitamin A and many fibers.
Intolerances and allergies
Food allergies to avocados are extremely rare. However, the fruits of the avocado tree contain relatively high levels of histamine and should therefore be avoided by people with histamine intolerance. Because of its high fat content, avocado can cause problems for people with sensitive stomachs and digestive problems.
Shopping and kitchen tips
Avocados do not ripen on the tree. They are harvested unripe and are therefore available unripe in the store. Soft avocado fruit on the supermarket shelf indicates that the fruit has been there longer. Since there is no guarantee that the avocados have been properly stored all this time, soft fruits should not be purchased. Often these pre-ripened specimens have black and inedible spots. It is therefore best to choose a firm and unripe avocado when buying. This can then ripen under good conditions at home. The firm avocado is best stored with an apple in a paper bag or in a sheet of newspaper. Apples produce the ripening gas ethylene. This causes the avocado to ripen faster. Depending on the original degree of ripeness, ripening can thus be shortened by two to ten days. Storage should be at room temperature. Under no circumstances should the avocado be stored directly above or next to the heater. If the avocado is freshly picked, ripening takes about ten days. For avocados available in Central European supermarkets, the average ripening time is five days. Once the avocado is cut open, it does not ripen again. So before cutting it open, it should be clear that the fruit is ready to eat. In a Hass avocado, the skin will turn black as it ripens. When the fruit yields slightly to pressure, it is ripe. Avocados of the Fuerte variety, on the other hand, may not turn black. Here, black spots are an indication of rot. But again, if the skin yields to light finger pressure, the avocado can be eaten.
Preparation tips
To eat, the fruit must be cut open lengthwise. This involves cutting around the pit. Then, the two halves can be easily separated by turning them in opposite directions. If only half an avocado is to be used initially, the pit can be left in the remaining half. It will ensure that the remaining fruit will keep longer. The flesh of the avocado can be easily removed from the skin with a spoon. Since the flesh quickly turns brown when exposed to air, the avocado should be eaten quickly. Alternatively, a little lemon juice can prevent oxidation. Avocados are an ingredient in guacamole and taste good in fresh salads or as a bread topping. Avocado should not be heated or it will develop a bitter taste.
