Guacamole (; (informally shortened to ''guac'' in the United States since the 1980s) is an avocado-based dip, spread, or salad first developed in Mexico. In addition to its use in modern

Mexican cuisine Mexican cuisine consists of the cooking cuisines and traditions of the modern country of Mexico. Its earliest roots lie in Mesoamerican cuisine. Its ingredients and methods begin with the first agricultural communities such as the Olmec and M ...

, it has become part of international cuisine as a dip, condiment and salad ingredient.

Etymology and pronunciation

The name comes from

Classical Nahuatl Classical Nahuatl (also known simply as Aztec or Nahuatl) is any of the variants of Nahuatl spoken in the Valley of Mexico and central Mexico as a ''lingua franca'' at the time of the 16th-century Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. During the s ...

, which literally translates to 'avocado sauce', from ''āhuacatl'' 'avocado' + ''mōlli'' 'sauce'. In Mexican Spanish, it is pronounced . In American English, it tends to be pronounced , and this pronunciation is also common in British English, but is more common.

History

Avocado seeds were first found in the Tehuacan Valley of Mexico around 9,000–10,000 years ago (7000–8000 BCE) and had been domesticated by various Mesoamerican groups by 5000 BCE. They were likely cultivated in the Supe Valley in Peru as early as 3100 BCE. In the early 1900s, avocados frequently went by the name ''alligator pear''. In the 1697 book, ''A New Voyage Round the World'', the first known description of a guacamole recipe (though not known by that name) was by English privateer and naturalist William Dampier, who in his visit to Central America during one of his circumnavigations, noted a native preparation made of grinding together avocados, sugar, and lime juice. Guacamole has increased avocado sales in the U.S., especially on Super Bowl Sunday and Cinco de Mayo. The rising consumption of guacamole is most likely due to the U.S. government lifting a ban on avocado imports in the 1990s and the growth of the U.S. Latino population.

Ingredients

Guacamole is traditionally made by mashing peeled, ripe avocados and salt with a ''

molcajete y tejolote A ''molcajete'' (; Mexican Spanish, from Nahuatl ''molcaxitl'') and ''tejolote'' are stone tools, the traditional Mexican version of the mortar and pestle, similar to the South American batan, used for grinding various food products. Descripti ...

'' (mortar and pestle). Recipes often call for lime juice, cilantro,

onions An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion ...

, and jalapeños. Some non-traditional recipes may call for sour cream, tomatoes, basil, or peas. Due to the presence of polyphenol oxidase in the cells of avocado, exposure to oxygen in the air causes an

enzymatic reaction Enzyme catalysis is the increase in the rate of a process by a biological molecule, an "enzyme". Most enzymes are proteins, and most such processes are chemical reactions. Within the enzyme, generally catalysis occurs at a localized site, calle ...

and develops melanoidin pigment, turning the sauce brown.Hartel, 2009, p. 43 This result is generally considered unappetizing, and there are several methods (some anecdotal) that are used to counter this effect, such as storing the guacamole in an air-tight container or wrapping tightly in plastic to limit the surface area exposed to the air.

Composition and nutrients

As the major ingredient of guacamole is raw avocado, the nutritional value of the dish derives from avocado vitamins, minerals and fats, providing

dietary fibre Dietary fiber (in British English fibre) or roughage is the portion of plant-derived food that cannot be completely broken down by human digestive enzymes. Dietary fibers are diverse in chemical composition, and can be grouped generally by the ...

, several B vitamins, vitamin K, vitamin E and potassium in significant content (see Daily Value percentages in nutrient table for avocado). Avocados are a source of

saturated fat A saturated fat is a type of fat in which the fatty acid chains have all single bonds. A fat known as a glyceride is made of two kinds of smaller molecules: a short glycerol backbone and fatty acids that each contain a long linear or branched c ...

, monounsaturated fat and phytosterols, such as beta-sitosterol. They also contain carotenoids, such as beta-carotene, zeaxanthin and lutein.

Similar dishes

''Mantequilla de pobre''

''Mantequilla de pobre'' () is a mixture of avocado, tomato, oil, and citrus juice. Despite its name, it predates the arrival of dairy cattle in the Americas, and thus was not originally made as a butter substitute.

''Guasacaca''

Thinner and more acidic, or thick and chunky, ''guasacaca'' is a

Venezuelan Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

avocado-based sauce; it is made with vinegar, and is served over ''parrillas'' (grilled food), '' arepas'', '' empanadas'', and various other dishes. It is common to make the ''guasacaca'' with a little hot sauce instead of ''jalapeño'', but like a guacamole, it is not usually served as a hot sauce itself. It is pronounced "wasakaka" in Latin America.

Commercial products

Prepared guacamoles are available in stores, often available refrigerated, frozen or in high pressure packaging which pasteurizes and extends shelf life if products are maintained at .

Holiday

National Guacamole Day is celebrated on the same day as Mexican Independence Day, September 16.

In popular culture

On April 6, 2018, Junta Local de Sanidad Vegetal de Tancítaro, Mexico, achieved the Guinness World Records for the largest serving of guacamole. They created it as part of Tancítaro's 7th Annual Avocado Festival in

Tancítaro Tancítaro is a city and municipality in the western part of the Mexican state of Michoacán, in Southwestern Mexico. Its municipal seat is the City of Tancítaro. The area has been called "the avocado capital of the world." An Avocado Festival ...

Michoacán Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo (; Purépecha: ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of ...

, Mexico. The serving weighed 3,788 kg (8,351 lb) and had more than 350 people help prepare it.

References

Bibliography

* Hartel, Richard W and Hartel, AnnaKate (March 1, 2009), Food Bites: the Science of the Foods We Eat; Springer Science & Business Media,

External links

* {{Mexican cuisine Condiments Cuisine of the Southwestern United States Dips (food) Guatemalan cuisine Mexican cuisine Mexican garnish New Mexican cuisine Tex-Mex cuisine Vegan cuisine Vegetable dishes Avocado dishes