Avocado Persea drymifolia, Persea americana - Butter-fruit, alligator pear Excavations of Mayan and Aztec burial grounds have indicated that this member of the laurel family, related to cinnamon, camphor and sassafras, may have been grown by Man over 8,000 years ago. Avocado was a mainstay of the Central American diet for centuries and its modern, common name is a product of the attempts of early explorers to reproduce its original Aztec name, ahuacatl. The Spanish transplanted it to Jamaica and in 1692 Sir Hans Sloane listed it in his catalogue of Jamaican flora as the alligator pear-tree, probably because of the similarity of its skin to alligator hide. The avocado has had a fairly unremarkable journey through history, being neither pretty nor fiery enough, to command instant culinary success. The reaction to its introduction into Bengal in the late 19th century was less than rapturous, with the authors of one publication of the day commenting that, “had it been worth eating it would have come long before.” and dismissing it as being so tasteless that it would need liberal amounts of salt and pepper to make it as tasty even as marrow! Despite its critics, the avocado travelled and gained fans amongst those willing to try and now it is grown in most tropical countries around the world: Australasia, South Africa, West Indies, California, Florida, Hawaii, the Phillipines, the Mediterranean and Israel joining the original suppliers in South America. As with all acquired tastes, however, the avocado grew on us, and gradually, we are coming to realise the value and versatility of this fruit. It makes a non-combative partner when simply split and filled with a delicate seafood; mixes well with other, stronger flavours or crisper textures as a filling or salad; mashes with spices and other fruits and vegetables for use as a dip or sauce; grills beautifully when sliced and layered with cheese and mushrooms; and makes an excellent and unusual garnish to soups, cubed and added just before serving. Other names for avocado, such as midshipman’s butter, butter-pear and butter fruit also bear testament to its long-time use as a spread and as a substitute for dairy spreads. Ironically, the nick-name that probably suits the avocado best of all, is one that doesn’t seem to have stuck - the lady pear. No, not because of its resemblance the figure of the average British woman! But because, of all the fruits, the avocado is, perhaps, one the most female-friendly in the plant kingdom. Avocado is a rich source of vitamin E which is thought to help relieve irregular periods, the symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome, menstrual pain and, as a powerful anti-oxidant, is thought to protect against the ageing process, preventing oxidation within body and skin cells. It may also be linked to female fertility: the scientists who discovered vitamin E initially called it tocopherol, Greek for ‘bring forth children’, after they discovered that a lack of the vitamin in laboratory rats brought about infertility in the animals. All this good news for the goose, though, doesn’t mean that the gander has been forgotten. Men, too can benefit. The same anti-oxidant power of vitamin E protects against cancer and helps to prevent the coagulation of the blood which can lead to heart attack and stroke. Vitamin E also promotes white blood cell activity, especially in the production of T-cells which are the white cells which fight infections. The avocado used to be regarded as fattening because of the quite high fat content (25% in an average fruit). Most of this, as with palm and olive oils, is in the form of monounsaturated fats which help to lower the LDL, or bad, cholesterol levels in the body. 100g of avocado flesh equals around 190 kcalories and contains 19.5g of fats. It also contains protein, carbohydrate, fibre, calcium, iron, sodium, a good amount of potassium, beta-carotene (vitamin A), Thiamin (vitamin B1), folic acid, and vitamin C.