Avocados are that trendy food that you see everywhere, but if you’re that one in a million person who’s never had the opportunity to eat one or are just plain curious about what it is and what it tastes like, then stay tuned. This superfood offers many nutritional benefits and also can be eaten in both sweet and savory dishes!

What Is An Avocado?

Avocados are actually a fruit and are technically referred to as berries with a large seed in the center (or what we also like to call the avocado pit). In the early 19th century, Sir Hans Sloane even referred to them as alligator pears. The former is because of its leathery dark skin that’s akin to the carnivore, and the latter is due to its oval shape. 

The first evidence of this fruit was an avocado pit found in a Coxcatlan Cave from Central America 10,000 years ago. The word avocado comes from the Spanish word “aguacate” which originated from the Nahuatl name “āhuacatl.” 

These days avocado popularity has grown exponentially and it’s now labeled a superfood because it offers so many healthy nutrients like vitamin C, folate, carotenoids, vitamin E, potassium, various B vitamins, and more. There’s been plenty of research done on this tasty fruit that shows avocados help lower cholesterol, help with weight loss, and more. 

Is Avocado Sweet or Bitter?

For most people, ripened avocado has a relatively neutral, buttery flavor with a slight sweetness at the end (depending on the variety of avocado). If you find your avocado tastes bitter or sour, it may mean that your avocado has gone bad and spoiled. 

What Tastes Similar to Avocado?

You can tell it’s ripe even before you open it by gently squeezing the outside skin–if it’s rock hard, it’s not done yet. If it’s softened, but not mushy, then you’re good to go! A ripened avocado should have a yellow center with a green ring of flesh. Sometimes you have light brown marks, but that’s nothing to worry about. 

While many are familiar with the Hass variety, there are also many more types of avocados and their size, shape, and flavor are specific to their variety. Avocados have a mild nutty flavor. Depending on the variety of avocado, this sweet and earthy flavor ranges from watery to bold flavors. 

Usually, most ripe avocados have a creamy, buttery consistency. This rich texture, but light flavor is often amplified when combined with other ingredients that bring out its nutty notes like salt or limes.    

What’s The Best Way To Eat An Avocado? 

One of the best ways to eat avocados is raw. Since the flavor of avocados can be mild, you want to enjoy them raw to savor their lightly sweet, nutty flavor. While some people love eating avocado with toast in the morning (see our post on avocado toast toppings) or in a burger, there are endless ways to enjoy it whether it’s savor or sweet. Some Asian countries even enjoy eating sliced avocado in a bowl of ice, milk, and sugar as a breakfast treat. 

Can You Eat An Avocado Raw?

Eating avocados raw is one of the most preferred ways of consuming this fruit because you get to savor its mild and nutty flavor. Some fan-favorite ways to eat avocados are as a salad topping, in frozen smoothie packs, a savory waffle topping, or even a healthy substitute for mayo! The ways to eat avocados are endless. 

Why Is Avocado So Expensive?

Avocado production takes into account a majority of requirements like proper fertilizer, leaf protection from the sun, pruning, and most importantly, a ton of water. To grow one avocado, it takes about 60 gallons of water before you can even pick the fruit. 

Avocado trees are also very sensitive to its environment, i.e. it needs a region with relatively no frost. This limits the number of areas where avocados can be grown, like places in Central America and California. Add this with the ever-growing demand for avocados around the world, growing and importing avocados can be an expensive process.