Why Guacamole is Special to Us

My neighbor had asked my spouse and I join her, and a small group of friends, for a special Margarita gathering. She was going to supply the tableware, chips and alcohol. So for us, keeping in the theme, we supplied the Persian limes from our garden, kosher salt, cocktail equipment, and home-made guacamole. This version of the dip elicited lots of complements from all who tasted it, so give it a try.

As to why this dip is special to us has to do with the fact we made it together without arguing. We both loved its taste, and got compliments to boot. But also, guacamole has nutritionally been linked to improved heart, skin, and hair health; contributing to weight loss in the sense of filling full (also low in carbs while high in good fats), may provide cancer prevention, and supports a stronger immune and digestive system. All very healthy items packaged in a creamy and buttery dip.

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The Avocado Fruit is Key

What is Guacamole?

This is a Central South Mexican side dish, considered a sauce or dip made primarily from Avocados that grow natively there. While early on, it is believed what we now call guacamole was mainly mashed and spiced avocados (1), over time other ingredients were added.

Through it all, the green and easily oxidized avocado is this dish’s main ingredient.

What is Avocado?

Avocado is a fruit from a tree in the Laurel family, that grows natively in parts of Central Mexico to Guatemala. Botanically, it is considered a berry with a very large seed within it. Typically, they can be ripened after they have been harvested by placing the fruit into a brown paper bag along with a banana or apple, folding it closed, and placing the bag on the kitchen counter.

• Wikipedia wrote that avocado seeds were first found in the Tehuacan Valley of Mexico around 9,000–10,000 years ago (7000–8000 BCE) and had been domesticated by various Mesoamerican groups by 5000 BCE.

Mesagrapevine wrote that originally, the Aztec word for avocado was “ahu?catl,” which actually meant “testicle. It’s unknown whether that name came from the way that the avocado hangs from the tree in pairs, or if it was a reference to the aphrodisiac quality of the food.

When the Spanish adopted the word, it seems they started with the name “aguacate.” Then this word developed into “avogato” over time, with the British calling it the ”avogato pear.” Eventually, the world settled on “avocado.”

Oxidation

Avocados contain the polyphenol oxidase enzyme, so once cut, the oxygen in the air reacts with this enzyme and triggers a green-to-brown color change in the flesh of the fruit.

Keeping the pit in the fruit does not prevent oxidation. However, what I have always done is for uncut halves, I squirt a bit of lemon (or lime) juice on the flesh and wrap the exposed flesh tightly with plastic wrap to limit its exposure to air. This will work, but really eat the avocado immediately, or if needed, finish it the next day. Recently Kitchn agreed with my go-to anti-oxidation efforts.

I have read that some restaurants add a layer of onions on top of the avocado before wrapping it to prevent oxidation, but have not tried it yet.

Avocado Toxicity

Avocados are a documented toxin to certain animals, including the fruit, leaves, bark, skin, or pit. The list of animals to avoid avocado include: cats, dogs, cattle, goats, rabbits, rats, guinea pigs, birds, fish, and horses. While they can be severely harmed or even killed when they consume them, it is also poisonous to some birds.

Guacamole

How old is Guacamole?

During the 1500 CE, the Aztecs enjoyed Avocados, and ate a dish called ahuaca-mulli; sort of an avocado mashed sauce featuring avocado, tomatoes and chilies (all native foods). We know this because the Spanish recorded this, which means the dish is probably much, much older.

• Ahuaca-mulli, Tenochtitlan, pre-1519: In America’s First Cuisines (UT Press, 1994) food historian Sophie Coe explains that the Aztec ahuaca-mulli (avocado sauce) is “the pre-Columbian dish most easily accessible to us.” She describes it as “the combination of mashed avocados, with or without a few chopped tomatoes and onions [seasoned] with New World coriander.”

Over time, the Spaniards learned to love the mixture, and started adding ingredients like onions, cilantro, and lime juice.

• El Chubby’s writes: The word guacamole that’s more commonly used today is likely derived from a language in Central Mexico called Nahuatl where it was pronounced waka’mole and huaka’mole.
• Others indicate the Spanish had a problem pronouncing the ahuaca-hulli and it slowly became accepted as guacamole.

The modern timeline is clearer.

• Wikipedia: In the 1697 book, A New Voyage Round the World, William Dampier wrote the first known description of a guacamole recipe (though not known by that name) as a Central American native preparation made of grinding together avocados, sugar, and lime juice.
• There was a ban on Mexican avocado imports from the 1910’s until ~1997.
• In the 1940s guacamole recipes were published and became more widely eaten.
• Then in the 1960s, marketing and advertising campaigns inaccurately tried to associate the avocado with the Pacific Islands.
• But finally, in the 1970s, USA restaurant goers began to be served guacamole with Spanish and Mexican food.
• 2012 over 1.6B avocados were consumed in the USA alone.

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PattyCooks Sip + Dip Recipes

PattyCooks Margarita

Recipe for one drink is basically a 1:1:2 combination of fresh lime juice, Triple Sec, and Tequila. JoSpecifically, here is what I do:

• Lime the glass rim and dip into kosher salt
• Into a cocktail shaker of ice add:
  • 1 juiced Persian lime
  • 3 little squirts of Agave Syrup
  • 1 shot Triple Sec
  • 2 shots Tequila
• Shake and pour over the iced + salted glass

PattyCooks Guacamole

The spiciness of this dish is based, in part, on the type of peppers used. The measurements of pepper-heat (shown below) are based on the Scoville scale: a measurement of the pungency, spiciness or “heat” of the chili peppers. The higher the Scoville Heat Units (SHU), the hotter the pepper.

This amount served 5 people as a dip.

• 4 avocado skinned, deseeded
  • 2 diced, 2 diced and roughly mashed
• 2 roughly chopped Roma tomatoes
• 1/4C – 1/2C diced cilantro based on preference
• 3 diced, raw shallots
• 1T minced green peppers, your choice based on heat
  • Mild, 100-1000 SHU, Japanese Shishito pepper
  • Mild, 500-1000 SHU, Anaheim peppers
  • Mildish, 1000-1500 SHU, roasted Poblano pepper
  • Spicy, 2500-8000 SHU, Jalapeño green pepper
• 2 juiced limes
• 1t kosher salt (start with 1/2t, once done and it sits a bit, taste and add the other half if needed)
• Several grinds of black pepper

Some Special Directions

• I cut the avocado in half, removed the seed, then using a dull or tableware knife I sliced the avocado flesh (not the skin) lengthwise into strips, then rotated the avocado and cut widthwise so there was a cross cut. Using a large spoon I scooped out the now diced cubes of avocado into the bowl and tossws the remaining skin into the compost bin.

• If too unripe, and you have days before the dip is needed, put into a brown paper bag with a banana or apple and close it up for 1-3 days. Place on the kitchen counter and check up later (I check each 12 hours) to see how ripe it has become.
• If in a hurry, cut into cubes, completely wrap in plastic wrap, and put into the microwave for 1 minute. It comes out hot, but soft so spoon out the diced parts and place in fridge for a bit. To cool down quicker I smash these avocado parts and move the mixture up the sides of a metal bowl before putting in the fridge.
• Make sure the dip is salted and juiced enough to enhance its flavor. Otherwise it can taste bland.

Ingredient Variations

Some people mash fresh garlic and add that to their guacamole, while others roast the garlic first. I skip the garlic as I feel like it overpowers the softer avocado flavor.

Others use red onions or yellow onions instead of shallots for its stronger taste and color. Traditionally, sweet white onions are used. I use shallots as they introduce the softer onion-garlic flavor into the dish and most people do not have an adverse reaction to the flavor of this type of raw onion.

Some add garlic chives in stead of cilantro. This is a good backup plan since Kitchn wrote that 4-14% of the general population do not appreciate cilantro, and to those people cilantro tastes like metal or soap.

For ease of adding flavor in a hurry, some folks add some salsa to the guacamole for flavor and heat. But it also can water down the guacamole, which waters down some of the avocado flavor as well.

One question is smooth or chunky, and i prefer chunky. Both work, but chunky looks more home made and fresher. Smooth guacamole looks too processed for me.

Finally, there are some who top the guacamole with a sprinkle of sweet paprika to add some color, or a pinch of Cayenne pepper for color and a blast of heat. I just used a few whole cilantro leaves.

Mexican 6-Layered Dip

Too much added to a guacamole dip and you have something else: a Mexican-Influenced Dip, or an Avocado Dip. Clearly, you do not add sour cream or grated cheese to guacamole, if you want those things, you are making a Mexican six-layered dip and not guac.:

1. Refried, or slightly mashed pinto or black beans as the base
2. Grated extra-sharp Tillimock cheddar cheese
3. Straus sour cream
4. Guacamole (mashed avocado, lime juice, salt + pepper)
5. Thinly sliced Jalapeños or chopped and roasted Poblano peppers
6. Pico de gallo topping

Dipping Chips

Studies show: The Aztecs developed the first tortilla chips, called totopochtli, as a convenient food (shelf stable and light, suitable for voyages). Later on, the mestizo population developed several dishes in which stale or leftover tortillas were fried to improve palatability. These new products, tostadas, were used as vehicles to spread refried beans, cheeses, vegetables, and other fillings. Much later we now live where corn-based chips are available everywhere in the USA.

The easiest way to do this is to buy your favorite corn-based chips. Most of these chips contain some wheat, so if gluten-free make sure it is all corn. Others combine yellow and white corn, and these are often crispier (1). But there are all sorts of chips available for a hearty dip so pick out a couple for people to have a choice. Additionally, to make the chips special, place them flat on a baking sheet, and place in a 350F pre-warmed oven for ~5-8 minutes just to warm up.

Second easiest, is to cut your favorite corn-based, cooked tortillas, slice them into the length and width of your choice for chips. Then cook them.

• Pre-heat oil in cast iron frying pan and cook ~2-3min on one side, then flip. Be sure not to overlap the chips while they are cooking.
• Bake chips in 350F preheated oven by placing them single layer in a baking sheet. Bake 5-7min, flip, bake another 5-7 minutes.
• Air-fryer (toss cut tortillas in a bowl a bit of oil and salt, air fry a single layer at 350°F for 5-8 min).

Be sure to let oil drip off the chips by placing the cooked chips on an drying rack (in a baking sheet to catch any oil). Lightly salt the chips with table salt (not kosher) while still a little wet and warm. Serve warm if you can.

Third way, is to make your own corn-based tortillas, slice and fry. Helpful would be having a tortilla press on hand. But know, if you are actually making tortillas from scratch (meaning corn kernels), this is a very long process. So I start with Masa Harina.

• Mix Masa Harina with a bit of salt
• Slowly stir in warm water (not cold)
• Knead the mix until the water is evenly incorporated and no dry masa remains. The final dough should be like Play-Doh^TM, a bit moist but not sticky-tacky.
• Divide the dough and roll into small balls.
• Use a tortilla press to flatten the dough balls into tortillas
• Then either cut and fry into chips, or cook tortillas on a dry, heated, cast iron skillet

Have a Party

This is a party favorite set of dishes and drinks, and great to serve for a small gathering. Enjoy!

—Patty

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