Over the past decade, the subtropical fruit exotic for our places, avocado, has gained great popularity. However, its appearance on the market at first caused bewilderment among buyers: avocado - fruit or vegetable? And, most importantly, how to clean and eat it?
American Perseus, alligator pear - all these are the names of the same plant, better known to us as avocado. In shape, the fruit resembles a pear covered with dark green mottled skin. This is where its English name comes from - alligator pear ("alligator pear").
Avocado - an evergreen tree of the Laurel family - is widespread in South America. They also tried to grow it in Russia - on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, where you can meet several trees of this species.
At first, disputes often arose: avocado fruit or vegetable? Let's try to figure it out. The taste of the pulp of this fruit (oily, almost tasteless), it would seem, inspires confidence that avocado is a vegetable. It is these taste qualities that allow you to use it as an ingredient in various vegetable salads. Some housewives use mashed fatty pulp as a substitute for mayonnaise. However, the fact that the fruit grows on a tree leaves no doubt: avocado is a fruit.
As already mentioned, the pulp of avocado is almost tasteless, remotely similar to grated walnut with butter. Despite the high oil content (up to 30%), it is easily digested. By the way, the chemical composition of this fruit has become another reason for doubt: avocado is a fruit or vegetable.
Avocado contains a rich set of trace elements - magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper, magnesium, calcium, as well as B vitamins and vitamin E. The presence of antioxidants helps prevent heart attacks and is an assistant in dealing with stressful situations. The low salt content allows the fetus to be recommended for use by people suffering from high blood pressure. A small amount of carbohydrates and sugar (only 1.5%) makes this product indispensable for diabetics.
Avocado is not a dietary product, on the contrary, it is very high-calorie - 100 grams of the product contains 245 kcal, but the presence of monounsaturated acids help lower cholesterol, rejuvenates the body.
Avocados are added not only to salads. It is used in soups, sauces, milkshakes. In some countries, ice cream is made from it, added to coffee or spread the pulp on bread.
To determine the ripeness of the fruit in appearance is almost impossible. Usually it goes on sale unripe. You can “contain” it by placing it in a package with a banana for 2-3 days. In a mature avocado, the flesh is soft, easily rubbed and spread.
To cut the fruit, it must be cut lengthwise, in half, carefully bypassing the bone with the knife, which is located in the center of the fruit, and then peeled. To preserve unused pulp from darkening, it is necessary to sprinkle it with lemon juice.
I hope we helped you sort out the question “Avocado - fruit or vegetable?” And you will discover all the delights of this exotic fruit. In conclusion, we note that the leaves and bone of the avocado are harmful to animals and humans, as they contain toxic substances.