What Is an Avocado?
An avocado is a bright green fruit with a large pit and dark leathery skin. It's also known as alligator pear or butter fruit. Avocados are a favorite of the produce section. They're the go-to ingredient for guacamole dips. And they're turning up in everything from salads and wraps to smoothies and even brownies. So what exactly makes this pear-shaped berry such a superfood?

Continue reading for 22 appetizing avocado facts that will leave you craving for more!

1.
The avocado is a tree and the fruit of that tree (Persea americana) in the flowering plant family Lauraceae.

2.
"Avocado" wasn't its original name.
Irishman Sir Hans Sloane called it an avocado in 1696 in a Jamaican-plants catalog. He also dubbed the avocado tree the "alligator pear tree."

3.
Avocados reached their evolutionary prime around the start of the Cenozoic era, some 66 million years ago.

4.
Avocados are berries.
Berries are one of the two kinds of fleshy fruit, which typically contain many seeds.
But avocados only have one seed, so how in the world are they considered berries?
Because other factors determine whether fruits are berries or not. For example, fruits are berries if they have a fleshy middle and inner layer, which is the case for avocados.

5.
Seedless avocados are referred to as cukes or cocktail avocados, but they're not a specific variety.
The seedless avocados are the result of an unpollinated avocado blossom that develops without a seed.

6.
Some avocados have long necks!
These unique-looking avocados come in two main types. The first are Russel avocados, which originate in the Florida Keys. The other, Pura Vida avocados, are native to Nicaragua.
Both varieties typically grow up to 13 inches (33 centimeters) long and weigh 1 to 3 pounds (0.45-1.36 kg).

7.
Spanish explorers arriving in Mexico during the 16th century survived on avocados and were the first Europeans to consume them. As a result of the Spanish Conquest, avocados spread to South America and Central America.

8.
Mexico is the world's largest avocado producer.
The country produced around 2.5 million tons (2.5 billion kilograms) of avocados in 2022. During the same year, Mexico planted lots of avocado trees, covering 252 thousand hectares of land area.
It was done to keep up with the rising demand for avocados, which grew from an estimated 542 million pounds (245 million kg) in 2000 to 2.7 billion lbs (1.2 billion kg) in 2022!

9.
Out of the 400 varieties of avocados, Hass avocados stand out the most; about 80% of the avocados being consumed worldwide are Hass avocados.
In 1926, a mail carrier and amateur botanist named Rudolph Hass planted three mystery avocado seeds in sawdust-filled apple boxes at his Los Angeles area home. One of the seeds grew into a tree that produced fruit with a thick bumpy skin. Spurred by his children who loved the taste of these avocados, Hass began to sell them to locals before eventually patenting the tree and selling seedlings from it.

10.
A farmer in Hawaii is thought to be growing the largest and heaviest avocados in the world. Kenji Fukumitsu's avocados are as big as a newborn baby and weigh over 6lbs each. He donates many of them to a nearby medical centre.
Unfortunately, Guinness World Records was unable to be involved due to bureaucratic red tape, so the record for the heaviest avocado stays with another Hawaii resident and their paltry 5.6-pound (2.5-kg) avocado.

11.
Bananas can help ripen avocados faster!
Need to ripen that avocado ASAP? Place it in a brown paper bag with a banana or two. The bananas will release ethylene gas, a natural plant hormone that aids in ripening fruit.
When the outside of an avocado is black or dark purple and yields to gentle pressure, it is ready to eat or refrigerate.

12.
It wasn't until the 1950s when Americans turned to avocados. This makes it a relatively new food in our country. As with most imported trends, avocados were made popular in the coastal states-Florida and California-and Hawaii, too, before evolving into mainstream culinary culture.

13.
National Avocado Day is celebrated on July 31, as this is when avocado season peaks in California.
This fun food holiday was created in 2017 by Model Meals, a California-based delivery business that focuses on healthy meals.

14.
Millennials are known as avocado toast-loving, latte-swilling spendthrift.

15.
Bill Granger was known as the godfather of avocado toast.
He was a renowned chef from Australia in the 1990s who played a crucial role in popularizing avocado toast within the Western world.

16.
Avocados are packed full of beneficial nutrients.
Avocados have higher levels of potassium than bananas. With just one average-sized 7-ounce (198-gram) avocado providing 21% of your daily potassium needs. This makes avocados helpful in regulating your blood pressure and strengthening your nervous system.
Avocados also contain high amounts of vitamins C, B6, and E, all of which contribute to a stronger immune system.
Avocados have a lot of calories. The recommended serving size is smaller than you'd expect: one-third of a medium avocado (50 grams, or 1.7 ounces). One ounce has 50 calories.
Lastly, thanks to its high fiber and healthy fat content, they're fantastic for your gut health.

17.
A 2015 study by the American Heart Association found that eating an avocado daily can improve LDL cholesterol levels (that's the bad cholesterol) in people who struggle with obesity or are overweight.

18.
Aside from planting avocado trees, avocado pits have a variety of uses, from facial scrubs to making dye.
Another way people use avocado pits is to make tea. It turns out that they're full of antioxidants, as well as lots of immunity-boosting nutrients.
This is because they contain up to 70% of an avocado's nutrients.

19.
Avocado oil is oilpressed from the avocado fruit.
Its mild taste and high smoke point make it a popular cooking oil, but you can also consume it raw. Avocado oil is very similar to olive oil in terms of utility and nutritional value. Like extra virgin olive oil, cold-pressed avocado oil is unrefined and retains some of the flavor and color of the fruit, leaving it greenish in color.
Avocado oil is also often put on the skin as a moisturizer and can be found in many cosmetics and skin care products. When produced for for use on the skin, the oil is usually refined and bleached, giving it a pale yellow color.

20.
An avocado face mask is a popular natural skin care treatment that uses mashed avocado as the primary ingredient. Because avocado is rich in beneficial nutrients – including vitamins A, C, E, and K, as well as antioxidants, healthy fats, and minerals – avocado is an excellent choice for nourishing and hydrating the face.

21.
About 30% of people who are allergic to latex are also allergic to avocados.
According to a study published by the National Institutes of Health, certain proteins found in rubber tree sap and avocados are the main culprits behind the allergy.
This is often referred to as latex-fruit syndrome, and it's not just avocados that can trigger people with latex allergies.
Other plants with the same protein in rubber include chestnuts, kiwis, and potatos.

Also read: 22 Profound Facts About Potatoes

22.
Avocados are poisonous to some animals.
Cattle, goats, birds, and horses are some examples of animals that experience an upset stomach after eating an avocado.
It's toxic to them because avocados contain a natural fungicide called persin.
Fortunately, the highest concentrations of persin are found within the leaves and the pits, which your animals are unlikely to try eating.

Sources
Smithsonian Magazine - Avocado extinction / Statista / Healthline / Yahoo / Calendarr / Smithsonian Magazine - Hass avocado / All Recipes / Business Insider / Treehugger / Well and Good / Wag! / CNBC / Hola! / The Yard Posts / Pub Med / America's Test Kitchen / Taste Of Home / WebMD / The Fact Site