Avocados 101: A Brief Intro to America’s Favorite Fruit

by Nick Gramatikov

Avocado 101

The Hass Avocado has become a food phenomenon, taking over restaurant menus, dinner tables and social media posts everywhere. From toast to tacos, demand for this buttery fruit is at an all-time high. Avocados have been grown and eaten for thousands of years, — there are now more than 400 different varieties — but the Hass didn’t exist until the late 1920s.

This varietal was actually an accident — one that we can all be thankful for. Rudolph Hass, a postman, purchased some seedlings to grow on his property. After several failed attempts to produce fruit, Hass gave up and left the trees to grow unattended. His children soon noticed fruit to appear, ones they enjoyed much better than other avocados they had tasted. Although these avocados had a thicker, darker, more pebbly skin, the inside was richer and nuttier. Word of the Hass avocado spread like wildfire, dramatically expanding the industry and making the Hass the number one variety in America by the 1980s.

The popularity of the fruit is no secret. Americans alone consume 7 pounds of avocado per person each year! But, avocados are more than a foodie favorite and millennial trend, they are a nutrient dense superfood. Avocados are a great source of high-quality fats, vitamins and minerals like: 

  • Heart healthy monounsaturated fats
  • Vitamin K
  • Vitamin C
  • Potassium
  • Vitamin E
  • Riboflavin
  • Magnesium
  • And MORE!

Additionally, the carbohydrate content is comprised of fiber — a compound most people aren’t getting enough of each day and that is loaded with health benefits.

Here are just a few reasons to consume more avocado: 

  • Supports healthy vision
  • Fights the growth and spread of cancer cells
  • Boosts weight loss
  • Balances blood sugar
  • Reduces Inflammation 
  • Improves digestive health

Incorporating avocado into your favorite meals and recipes can help you reap the health benefits of this flavorful fruit. For tips and tricks on how to incorporate avocado into your daily life, check out our recipes. 

References: 

  1. Holy Guacamole: How the Hass Avocado Conquered the World. July 2017. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/holy-guacamole-how-hass-avocado-conquered-world-180964250/. Accessed May 2020. 
  2. A Short History of the Hass Avocado. N.D. http://ucavo.ucr.edu/avocadovarieties/Hass_History.html. Accessed May 2020. 
  3. Avocado Calories, Nutrition Facts and Diet Advice. March 2020. https://draxe.com/nutrition/avocado-calories/. Accessed May 2020. 
Back to Blog