Avocado

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Avocado (lat. Persea americana) - an evergreen fruit crop, a bright representative of the Laurel family.

History

According to the scarce archaeological data, avocados were actively cultivated even before our era (in the third millennium). Auacatl - so affectionately called him by the Aztecs, which means "forest oil".

And in the literature, the first mention of this culture is dated 1553 - it can be found in the work of Pedro Cieza de Leon called "The Chronicle of Peru".

Description

Avocado is a fast-growing evergreen tree, often growing up to twenty meters in height. The straight trunks of each tree branch quite strongly. And the length of elliptical leaves falling throughout the year can reach thirty-five centimeters.

As for the flowers, they are bisexual in avocados, rather small and inconspicuous. At the same time, each flower sits securely in the leaf axils.

Avocados are very fancy single-seeded berries that can be spherical, ellipsoidal or pear-shaped (for this, the British often call avocados an "alligator pear"). Ripe fruits reach a length of five to twenty centimeters, and their weight can range from fifty grams to 1.8 kg. Each fruit is endowed with a rather tough skin. By the way, in immature specimens, it is usually dark green, but a little later after ripening, it begins to gradually turn black.

The oily, fat-rich pulp of ripe avocados has a pleasant yellowish-greenish or green color. And in the very middle of each fruit there is a single very large seed. The pulp of ripe fruits has an incredibly delicate texture and is very reminiscent of herb puree, flavored with fresh butter. And sometimes avocado also has a light nutty flavor, somewhat similar to the taste of pine nuts.

Currently, there are more than four hundred varieties of this culture. By the way, avocado has a truly unprecedented yield - from one tree you can collect from one and a half to two hundred kilograms of fruits.

Where grows

Avocados have long been grown in the vast majority of subtropical and tropical regions. Most often it can be seen in Israel, Africa, Brazil and the United States.

Application

The pulp of well-ripened avocados is quite widely used in the preparation of a wide variety of cold dishes: it can be periodically found in sandwiches, all kinds of cold snacks and original salads (avocado goes especially well with red fish). And so that the fruits do not oxidize and do not lose their attractive appearance and delicate taste, lime or lemon juice is added to dishes with avocado.

Avocado also serves as an excellent filling for vegetarian sushi, and in a number of cold dishes, these fruits become an excellent alternative to eggs and meat. And in faraway Brazil, avocados are used to make nutritious milkshakes and sweet pastry creams.

The monounsaturated fatty acids in avocados help heal blood vessels and the heart, as well as lower cholesterol levels. An element with an interesting name, glutathione acts as a powerful antioxidant, and the potassium contained in avocados is endowed with pronounced antiarrhythmic properties.

Avocado wood is often used for making furniture. In addition, it may well be used as an independent building material.

Growing

Avocados need reliable protection from strong winds and grows best in sunny areas. This plant does not tolerate either drought or severe frosts. The soil intended for its cultivation must certainly be perfectly drained and very fertile, and when the avocado begins to bear fruit, it is important to provide it with sufficient moisture.

If the avocado grows indoors, then it must be kept in a bright place throughout the year (it should be cool enough in winter and warm in summer). As for watering, they should be moderate.