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> Kid-Friendly Guacamole Recipe

Kid-Friendly Guacamole Recipe

Nothing says Mexico like guacamole, pinatas and sombreros! On Cinco de Mayo (May 5th), people all over the United States celebrate Mexican culture and heritage with piñatas, Mexican crafts and of course, Mexican cuisine. Guacamole being one of the great ambassadors of Mexican food in the world, I would like to share this kid-friendly guacamole recipe perfected over the years by my husband. In it, you won’t find any hot spices, artificial flavorings or unhealthy nasties. This chunky guacamole packs a bunch in ripe avocados, tasty tomatoes and green goodness. It is so good that we just eat it on its own or as a side dip but it would be great for a sunny day out, with the customary tortilla chips.

Guacamole History

My daughter, who just studied Mayas and Aztecs at school, would love to know that guacamole was first invented by Aztecs in the 1500s. Though we eat guacamole regularly, the historical origin of the name is not very well known (but definitely an “conversation starter”). Indeed, the word “avocado” comes from the Aztec word ahuacatl which means testicle or testicle tree. The Aztecs named it such for its resemblance to the male genitalia and the spread that we eat today as guacamole was called ahuaca-mulli or avocado sauce. In fact, the Aztecs were very fond of guacamole because of the high-fat content of the fruit. Yes, avocado is a fruit. More on that below.

Fun facts about avocados

Avocados are a fruit, not a vegetable, belonging to the genus Persea in the Lauraceae family.
They’re also called alligator pears due to the shape and rough green skin (cut one open and it looks like an alligator eye, too).
Avocados are a climacteric fruit, meaning they mature on the tree but ripen off the tree. Even more amazing is the fact that avocados can stay on a tree for as long as 18 months. It’s as if the tree preserves them until you’re ready to use them.
Brazilians add avocados to ice cream, mousses and smoothies.
Filipinos puree avocados with sugar and milk for a summer shake.
Avocados contain 60% more potassium than bananas.
Over 70% of the oil is polyunsaturated – the good kind of fat.
They have two to three times the amount of protein as other fruits.
They contain almost 20 vitamins and minerals.