The subtropical fruit, avocado, which is exotic for our places, has gained great popularity in Russia over the past decade. However, its appearance on the market at first caused bewilderment among buyers: is avocado a fruit or a vegetable? And, most importantly, how to clean and eat it?
American Perseus, alligator pear - all these are the names of the same plant, better known to us as avocado. The shape of the fruit resembles a pear, covered with dark green pimply skin. Hence its English name - alligator pear ("alligator pear").
Avocado is an evergreen tree of the Laurel family - widely distributed in South America. They also tried to grow it in Russia - on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, where you can find several trees of this species.
At first, there were often disputes: is avocado a fruit or a vegetable? Let's try to figure it out. The taste of the pulp of this fruit (oily, almost tasteless), it would seem, inspires confidence that the avocado is a vegetable. It is these taste qualities that make it possible to use it as an ingredient in various vegetable salads. Somehousewives use mashed fatty pulp as a substitute for mayonnaise. However, the fact that the fruit grows on a tree leaves no doubt: avocado is a fruit.
As already mentioned, the pulp of an avocado is practically tasteless, remotely similar to a walnut grated with butter. Despite the high content of oil in it (up to 30%), it is easily digested. By the way, the chemical composition of this fruit has become another reason for doubt: is an avocado a fruit or a vegetable.
Avocado contains a rich set of trace elements - magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper, magnesium, calcium, as well as B vitamins and vitamin E. The presence of antioxidants helps prevent heart attacks and is an assistant in the fight against stressful situations. The low s alt content allows the fruit to be recommended for use by people suffering from high blood pressure. A small amount of carbohydrates and sugar (only 1.5%) makes this product indispensable for diabetics.
Avocado is not a dietary product, on the contrary, it is very high in calories - 100 grams of the product contains 245 kcal, but the presence of monounsaturated acids helps to lower cholesterol levels, rejuvenates the body.
Avocados are added not only to salads. It is used in soups, sauces, milkshakes. In some countries, it is made into ice cream, added to coffee, or spread on bread.
It is almost impossible to determine the ripeness of a fruit by its appearance. Usually it goes on sale unripe. You can "keep" itby placing for 2-3 days in a bag with a banana. A mature avocado has a soft flesh that is easy to crush and spread.
To cut a fruit, it must be cut lengthwise, in half, carefully bypassing the bone, which is in the center of the fruit, with a knife, and then peeled. To keep unused pulp from browning, sprinkle it with lemon juice.
I hope we have helped you understand the question "Is avocado a fruit or a vegetable?", and you will discover all the delights of this exotic fruit. In conclusion, we note that the leaves and the stone of the avocado are harmful to animals and humans, as they contain toxic substances.
