Stepping away from anatomically-based names of yore, the avocado has another, more reptilian name; “alligator pear.” According to Dictionary.com, this name came about not due to the seemingly scaly skin of the fruit, but due to a mislabelling and mispronunciation of its Spanish name, “avogado” by English speakers.
Where do they call avocados alligator pears?
In Florida, which received its first trees and name via the West Indies, the accepted appellation was Alligator Pear. In California however, whither the fruit had arrived northward from Mexico, the name aguacate was more common.
Is an avocado called an alligator pear?
avocado, (Persea americana), also called alligator pear, tree of the family Lauraceae and its edible fruit. Avocados are native to the Western Hemisphere from Mexico south to the Andean regions and are widely grown in warm climates.
What were avocados originally called?
When the Aztecs discovered the avocado in 500 BC, they named it āhuacatl, which translates to “testicle.” It is likely that the texture, shape, and size of the fruit, as well as the way it grows in pairs, inspired the name of the avocado.
Where did the term alligator pear originate?
The name alligator pear originated from a specimen that has a rough skin similar to the hide of our Everglades beast of the swamps. The first commercially produced avocados were the Fuerte, which means strong in Spanish. This variety was so named because it is capable of surviving freezes.
What is another name for alligator pear?
Alligator-pear synonyms
(Archaic) The avocado pear. The avocado.
Which fruit is also known as an alligator pear?
Avocados
As you munch on guacamole and chips, chew on the etymology of the humble avocado. Its many names are as wacky as the fruit is yummy.
What are the 2 types of avocados?
In the United States, avocados from California (Hass variety) are smaller with a pebbly skin, while those from Florida are larger and have a smoother skin (16).
What is the meaning of alligator pear?
Definitions of alligator pear. a pear-shaped tropical fruit with green or blackish skin and rich yellowish pulp enclosing a single large seed. synonyms: aguacate, avocado, avocado pear. type of: edible fruit.
What is a crocodile pear?
In the 1950s, the avocado was known unsentimentally as the crocodile pear because of its hard, wrinkled skin. Imports from Mexico were banned until 1997 due to the alleged danger of parasites from the dreaded tropical south.
Why avocado is not good for you?
Having avocado several times a day and/or adding avocado to meals that already contain fats, can easily add up to more calories and fat grams than you are aware of. When you bring more calories into your body than it burns off in a day, those extra calories will be stored as fat—even if they are healthy calories.
What is the Aztec word for testicle?
The word Avocado comes from a Nahuatl Indian (Aztec) word “ahuácatl” meaning testicle. It is thought that the reference is either due to the avocado’s shape or the fact that it was considered to possess aphrodisiac qualities by the Aztecs.
Why is avocado called palta?
After digging a little bit in the history of food in the Americas, and speaking with my Peruvian friends, it seems that the avocados came down to this side of the world many centuries ago from Mexico, and the Quechua speaking inhabitants named it palta.
What is avocado called in English?
noun, plural av·o·ca·dos. Also called alligator pear. a large, usually pear-shaped fruit having green to blackish skin, a single large seed, and soft, light-green pulp, borne by the tropical American tree Persea americana and its variety P.
Is pear and avocado the same?
A pear is a fruit which is similar to an apple but elongated towards the stem while on the other hand avocado is a large fruit while comparing to pear and is a yellowish green or in black color and is pulpy fruit of avocado tree.
What is the tastiest avocado?
Hass avocado is perhaps one of the most famous avocado types and considered by many to be the best. The flavour is quite intense and the flesh is very creamy, perfect for guacamole.
What are tiny avocados called?
Babycados
Babycados are just miniature avocados, about half the size of a traditional Hass avocado though sometimes smaller than an average chicken egg, and the taste is about comparable to that of a regular-sized avocado.
What is the difference between Hass avocado and avocado?
Hass avocados have a higher oil percentage (usually around 18 percent) making the texture more creamy, and is therefore considered as the preferred variety. Indian avocados on the other hand have a lower oil percentage (around 12 percent) making the texture slightly less creamy but a little more nutty in flavour.
Are alligators man eaters?
Alligators. Despite their manifest ability to kill prey similar to or larger than humans in size and their commonness in an area of dense human settlement (the southeastern United States, especially Florida), American alligators rarely prey upon humans.
Is an avocado fruit?
Avocados are one of the few fruits (yes, technically they’re a fruit, not a veggie) that contain healthy unsaturated fats. These fats help lower undesirable LDL cholesterol when eaten in place of saturated fat.
What are Florida avocados?
Florida avocados are Antillean and hybrids. The popular ‘Hass’ is a Guatemalan/Mexican hybrid. Florida varieties include ‘Donnie’, “Dupuis’, ‘Hardee’, ‘Pollock’, ‘Simmonds’, ‘Russell’, ‘Lula’, ‘Choquette’ and ‘Monroe’. About the fruit: Avocado is a berry, with one single large seed surrounded by creamy pulp.
Lorraine Wade is all about natural food. She loves to cook and bake, and she’s always experimenting with new recipes. Her friends and family are the lucky beneficiaries of her culinary skills! Lorraine also enjoys hiking and exploring nature. She’s a friendly person who loves to chat with others, and she’s always looking for ways to help out in her community.