Many Uses of the Avocado

By Dinah Jackson

Expert Author Dinah Jackson

Most of us are familiar with avocado, few dislike this odd fruit, and while the parameters of its use seem to be restricted to Mexican fare on most tables, it always seems to be welcome. It is mostly used as a topping to chmichangas and toquittos, but is most often used as a dip we call guacamole (the name originally refers to a cactus salsa however), which is basically mashed avocado mixed with fresh salsa. Avocado undoubtedly is used as a vegetable, but it is a fruit of course and it has an unusual deep and somewhat pungent flavor. It is also great in fresh salads; either mashed and mixed with a vinaigrette as a flavorful thickener or cut into chunks as a garnish. It is also used to add interest and sustenance to sandwiches and hamburgers. Avocado is also sometimes sliced and eaten as sashimi and also appears in California sushi rolls.

Sadly, the list pretty much ends there as avocados react dismally to any sort of cooking. Their flavor becomes unpalatable, their texture gloppy, and the meat turn an unappetizing brown when they are subjected to any kind of cooking heat. Fortunately for cooks like me however, there are still avenues to explore with the avocado, particular in luncheon fare. How about wrapping them with prosciutto, fresh basil and lettuce, and dipping them in a Parmesan vinaigrette? I can think of piquant cold coleslaw variations that would welcome avocado, and cold gazpacho is an obvious candidate as well.

One thing I've never done however is tried treating the avocado as a fruit. Apart from soaking them in a sugary syrup and seeing how that works out, you cold also gently fold avocado chunks into a tropical fruit salad several hours before serving. If that sounds unpalatable, I willing to bet that an avocado milkshake or ice cream would blend nicely.

This article was written by Dinah Jackson who is a nutritionist in Japan. To find the rarest Japanese Pokemon cards, check out the store that has every kind of Japanese Pokemon cards that you can imagine. Also an incredible selection of Japanese Pokemon plush toys, figures, binders, deck boxes, sleeves, and thousands more rare items. Delivered right to your front door from Japan.