Avocado, also known as Persea Americana is the fruit of the avocado tree.
It has a high nutrient value and it’s rich in texture, with a good flavor. Health-concious people choose it and eat it regularly in different combinations. Due to its health properties, it is referred to as a superfood.
Not many people know that there is more than one type of avocado – they vary in shape and color — from pear-shaped to round and green to black. The most popular variety is the Hass avocado. They weigh from 220 grams to 1.4 kg.
Because it is pear-shaped and has green, bumpy skin like an alligator it is also called “alligator pear”.
With 20 different vitamins and minerals, avocados are very nutritious and contain a wide variety of nutrients.
Here are some of the most abundant nutrients, in a single 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving
- Vitamin K: 26% of the daily value (DV)
- Folate: 20% of the DV
- Vitamin C: 17% of the DV
- Potassium: 14% of the DV
- Vitamin B5: 14% of the DV
- Vitamin B6: 13% of the DV
- Vitamin E: 10% of the DV
- It also contains small amounts of magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, zinc, phosphorous and vitamins A, B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin) and B3 (niacin).
Check out this easy, authentic guacamole recipe:
Real Guacamole Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 large ripe tomato
- 3 avocados, very ripe but not bruised
- juice 1 large lime
- handful coriander leaves and stalks chopped, plus a few leaves, roughly chopped, to serve
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1 chilli, red or green, deseeded and finely chopped
- tortilla chips, to serve
Preparation:
- Use a large knife to pulverize 1 large ripe tomato to a pulp on a board, then tip into a bowl.
- Halve and stone the 3 avocados (saving a stone) and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh into the bowl with the tomato.
- Tip the juice of 1 large lime, a handful of roughly chopped coriander, 1 finely chopped small red onion and 1 deseeded and finely chopped red or green chili into the bowl, then season with salt and pepper.
- Use a whisk to roughly mash everything together. If not serving straight away, sit a stone in the guacamole (this helps to stop it going brown), cover with cling film and chill until needed.