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Avocado

Vegetables · Fruiting vegetables

Avocado

Creamy, buttery green fruit with a large stone, eaten raw in guacamole, salads, toast and sushi.

Also called: avocados, aguacate, palta, avokado

35 recipes with it

Photo: B.navez, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-3.0)

What it is

Avocados are pear-shaped fruits with a single large seed and rich, pale-green flesh. Hass avocados have pebbly skin that turns almost black when ripe; smooth green-skinned types stay green and are lighter in texture. They are ripe when they yield to gentle pressure near the stem. They are high in fat and used mainly as a savoury ingredient.

Persea americana

How it’s used

  • Mashed into guacamole
  • Sliced on toast, in salads and sandwiches
  • In sushi rolls and poke bowls
  • Blended into smoothies, dressings and desserts (Brazil, Southeast Asia)
  • Topping for soups and tacos

Characteristics

Taste
Mild, buttery and nutty.
Texture
Smooth and creamy when ripe; hard and waxy when unripe.
When cooked
Browns quickly once cut; lime or lemon juice slows this. Turns bitter when cooked for long.
Sold as
fresh, frozen
Cooking uses
Usually eaten raw

Varieties

  • Hass
  • Fuerte
  • Reed
  • Florida / green-skinned

Storage

At room temperature. Ripen at room temperature (a paper bag speeds it up), then refrigerate ripe fruit for a few days. Cover cut halves with the stone in and a squeeze of citrus.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Avocado leaves, skin and stone are toxic to some animals, including birds.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
160 kcal
Protein
2 g
Carbohydrate
8.53 g
Fat
14.66 g
Fibre
6.7 g
Sugars
0.66 g

USDA FoodData Central: Avocados, raw, all commercial varieties.

Related ingredients

Recipes with avocado

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