Avocados are more than just a trend; they’ve taken the world by storm for how many different uses you could get out of them. Personally, I put avocado on nearly anything; burgers, salads, sandwiches, and we can’t forget about a good guac.
This bright green fruit with a large pit has dark, leathery skin (don’t eat it), and its edible insides are silky smooth and for this it’s known as alligator pears or butter fruit. Aside from the fact that they’re super versatile, they’re also very nutritional and should be incorporated into your diet more often.
For calorie counters, be warned that avocados do contain a lot of calories and are high in fat. However, don’t get discouraged, because it’s good fat. I know, I know, a good fat almost seems impossible, but it’s true! Avocados have monounsaturated fat, which helps lower bad cholesterol as long as you eat them in moderation.
These green delights provide nearly 20 vitamins and minerals. In a single 100-gram serving, your body will get 485 milligrams of potassium, 81 micrograms of folate, 0.257 milligrams of Vitamin B6, 10 milligrams of Vitamin C, and 2.07 milligrams of Vitamin E.
Avocados are also low in sugar and contain fiber, helping you feel fuller longer.
But that’s not all!
These healthy foods can help ward off cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis, depression, and inflammation. On the opposite end, avocados can help maintain healthy digestion, blood pressure, heart, vision, and pregnancy.
Now that we know how great avocados are, if you’ve never had one you may have some other questions. Perhaps the most important one is – what does an avocado taste like? The short answer is, it depends on ripeness, but generally speaking, it’s not overwhelming. Let’s dive into it more, shall we?
What Does Avocado Taste Like?
As far as flavor goes, the taste depends on how ripe the avocado is. At first, you may think it’s underwhelming, and I can’t say I’d blame you since it tastes like almost nothing. But then all of a sudden it’s like you have to keep adding it to everything you eat.
The avocado taste is generally not a powerful flavor and is kind of muted. Some avocados are more buttery and others have a nuttier hint of flavor to them. However, if we’re being honest, avocados are eaten more for their texture than taste.
So for those people who are all about texture foods, this one’s for you!
Is Avocado Sweet or Bitter?
It can be debated that ripe avocados, although more tasteless, have a pleasant, slightly sweet aroma with a somewhat earthy, grassy, and nutty flavor that’s very subtle. This tends to lead to a “sweeter” note. Avocado is also used in desserts for its buttery texture, therefore helping to amp up the sweetener.
The only time an avocado may taste bitter is for either the reason of it being unripe or because they have been cooked. This unpleasant taste is what you’d want to stay away from.
Avocado Texture
Avocados don’t ripen until after they are harvested. You’ll know if they’re not ripe enough if the avocado is too hard. However, if it’s too ripe, it will be too mushy and brown on the inside. For a pro tip on how to tell the ripeness, remove the little nub on top of the avocado and see the color underneath it in order to determine if the avocado is ready.
The main texture of avocado is the creaminess. It’s so smooth, almost buttery. It becomes easy to take out the pit and spoon the goods out of the skin. Avocado is also thick/dense, but not too much. Just enough to have some structure and feel like you’ve eaten something of substance.
What Tastes Similar to Avocado?
Since avocados are more of a texture thing, you can compare them to bananas. Creamy avocado is similar to a banana as far as consistency goes. They also deliver a similar dash of added sweetness and creaminess to anything you’re making. Plantains, aka the banana brother, are also another good and similar option.
Edamame when blended also has a similar consistency and texture as the avocado. Making edamame dip can even compare to the deliciousness of guacamole. Other similar texture swaps include pumpkin, butternut squash, nut butter, pinto beans, hearts of palm, and blanched asparagus spears.
Although these culinary swaps may not offer the exact same nutritional value as avocados, they still serve as functional swaps and even have other beneficial nutrition.
Can You Eat Avocado Raw?
Avocado is used raw quite often for many different dishes. I actually love eating raw avocado by adding it to many of my foods. It makes for the perfect addition to a dish. The possibilities are endless!
Just like any other fruit you bring home from the store, it is safe to eat raw, and quite delicious to eat with or without seasoning. It will not cause any health issues and they’re not toxic, even when unripe.
But in case you were wondering, you’re also more than welcome to cook avocado, as they’re delicious when cooked just right.
Uses for Avocados
You can use avocado for many substitutions or additives when creating something that’s *chef’s kiss* perfection. Here are just some of the few creative ideas to put into your head:
Guacamole
A classic Mexican staple, this avocado-based dish is easy to make. Mash up some avocado and mix it together with lime juice, tomatoes, onion, salt, and maybe some fresh cilantro if you’re feeling it. I could easily eat it by the spoonful, but if you want to scoop it up with some chips, that works too.
Avocado Toast
Brunch it up with this popular dish. Toast your favorite kind of bread and then grab a spoonful of avocado and spread it all over the toast. From here you can keep as is or flavor to taste. For extra pizazz, add a fried egg or some bacon.
Fancy something a bit different? Toast an English muffin and spread mashed avocado over the inside for a delicious and healthy breakfast.
Smoothies
Perfect for a healthy breakfast, adding avocado to a smoothie is a great thickener. It adds extra creaminess and creates a filling morning meal. Ingredients that go well in an avocado smoothie include spinach, frozen banana, frozen pineapple, coconut milk, and even maple syrup!
Avocado Fries
Coat avocado slices with egg wash and breadcrumbs and then lightly fry them. You can do this by using a stovetop with oil in a pan, or air frying. You can also bake them in the oven. This makes for a great snack. If you want to use them elsewhere, avocado fries go great in soft taco shells. Top with chipotle aioli and you’ve got a perfect combo.
Avocado Dressing
Turning avocado into dressing is perfect to throw onto salads or anywhere else. Think of it as a liquid version of the fruit. Blend avocado and add water and olive oil to loosen it up, and feel free to blend more flavors like lemon juice and garlic for taste.
Cake
Combining typical cake ingredients with avocado creates a rich, moist cake perfect for dessert. Chocolate is also a popular addition. You may not even taste the avocado!
Avocado Margarita
This one is for the adults! Would you ever think alcohol and avocado would work together? Using tequila blanco, lime zest, lime juice, and other classic margarita ingredients, avocado will help to make a smooth drink that won’t be tough on the throat.