Avocado

Photo © Flickr user nate steiner

The avocado is the pear-shaped fruit of a tree native to Mexico and Central America. There is evidence it has been cultivated in Central America since 5,000 BC. The Mayans believed the avocado had magical powers and was an aphrodisiac. In fact, the name comes from the Aztec word for this fruit "ahuacat" which means "testicle." Avocado's amazing silky texture is due to its high fat content of over 20%. Even though high in fat, it's the beneficial mono-unsaturated type. Sailors used to call avocados "butter pears" and actually used the flesh as one would use butter. California is the largest producer of avocados in America. While there are many varieties grown, the most popular is the "Hass" variety.