An average avocado tree produces about 120 avocados annually. Commercial orchards produce an average of 7 tonnes per hectare each year, with some orchards achieving 20 tonnes per hectare. Biennial bearing can be a problem, with heavy crops in one year being followed by poor yields the next. The fruit is sometimes called an avocado pear or alligator pear, due to its shape and rough green skin. The avocado tree does not tolerate freezing temperatures, and so can be grown only in subtropical and tropical climates.
Names
The English name for the avocado was borrowed from the obsolete version of the Spanish language word for lawyer, now "abogado." This alternative name co-existed before the current Spanish language name, "aguacate" became dominant. Both derive from its Nahuatl name, 'ahuacatl', meaning testicle (due to its shape). In some countries of South America (such as Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay), the avocado is known by its Quechua name, 'palta'. In other Spanish-speaking countries it is called "aguacate", and in Portuguese it is "abacate". The name avocado pear is sometimes used in English, as is alligator pear. The Nahuatl ahuacatl can be compounded with other words, as in ahuacamolli, meaning "avocado soup or sauce", from which the Mexican-Spanish word guacamole derives. In Chinese, the avocado is evocatively called the "butter fruit" ( 牛油果 níuyóu gǔo), but also occasionally "alligator pear" ( 鳄鱼梨). In Taiwan, the word "alligator pear" is used.
Cultivation
Avocado fruit (cv. 'Fuerte'); left: whole, right: in sectionThis subtropical species needs a climate without frost and not too much wind. When a frost event does happen, the fruit drops from the tree, reducing the yield. The cultivar 'Hass' can tolerate temperatures down to −1 °C. The trees also need well aerated soils, ideally more than 1 m deep. Yield is reduced when the irrigation water is highly saline. These soil and climate conditions are met only in a few areas of the world, particularly in southern Spain, Israel, South Africa, Peru, northern Chile, Vietnam, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, United States, The Philippines, Malaysia, Mexico and Central America, the center of origin and diversity of this species. (In the U.S., avocados are produced commercially only in California and Florida, although the varieties used are different.)
Uses
The fruit of horticultural cultivars range from more or less round to egg or pear-shaped, typically the size of a temperate-zone pear or larger, on the outside bright green to green-brown (or almost black) in color. The fruit has a markedly higher fat content than most other fruits, mostly monounsaturated fat. A whole medium avocado contains approximately 25% of the United States FDA's recommended daily amount of saturated fat. Avocados also have 60% more potassium than bananas. They are also rich in B vitamins, as well as vitamin E, vitamin K, and folate. A ripe avocado will yield to a gentle pressure when held in the palm of the hand and squeezed. The flesh is typically greenish yellow to golden yellow when ripe. The flesh oxidizes and turns brown quickly after exposure to air. To prevent this, lime or lemon juice can be added to avocados after they are peeled. The avocado is very popular in vegetarian cuisine, making an excellent substitute for meats in sandwiches and salads because of its high fat content. The fruit is not sweet, but fatty, strongly flavored, and of smooth, almost creamy texture. It is used as the base for the Mexican dip known as guacamole, as well as a filling for several kinds of sushi, including California rolls. Avocado is popular in chicken dishes and as a spread on toast, served with salt and pepper. In Brazil and Vietnam, avocados are frequently used for milk-shakes and occasionally added to ice cream. In the Philippines, Jamaica and Indonesia, a dessert drink is made with sugar, milk, and pureed avocado. In Central America, avocados are served mixed with white rice. The fruit is also pressed for avocado oil production. In Chile it is often used in hamburgers, hot dogs and celery salads. Avocado flesh has also been used by some Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States in the mixing and application of adobe, a natural building material.
Avocado is also thought to promote physical beauty and is used in cosmetics to this day. The Aztecs ate the fruit as an aphrodisiac to become passionate and aroused lovers.
Toxicity to Animals
Feeding avocados to any non-human animal should be avoided completely. There is documented evidence that animals such as cattle, horses, goats, rabbits, birds, dogs, cats, and even fish can be severely harmed or even killed when they consume the leaves, bark, or fruit. Avocados contain a toxic fatty acid derivative known as persin. and many animal organizations recommend total avoidance of all parts of the plant. The symptoms include gastrointestinal irritation, vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory distress, congestion, fluid accumulation around the tissues of the heart and even death. Birds seem to be particularly sensitive to this toxic compound.
Negative effects in humans seem to be primarily in allergic individuals
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