US paves way for resumption of Mexico avocado exports

[millefleur 5,046]

Quote

 

MEXICO CITY -- The U.S. Embassy announced Friday that Washington is lifting a ban on inspections of Mexican avocados, freeing the way for exports to resume.

Ambassador Ken Salazar said in a statement the decision came after Mexico and the United States agreed “to enact the measures that ensure the safety" of agricultural inspectors who are in charge of making sure Mexican avocados don’t carry diseases or pests that would harm U.S. orchards.

 

The inspections were halted last week after one of the U.S. inspectors was threatened in the western state of Michoacan, where growers are routinely subject to extortion by drug cartels.

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Thursday that the inspector had received a threat “against him and his family.”

 

Read more here: https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/us-paves-resumption-mexico-avocado-exports-82986619

[millefleur 5,046]

How many of us are avocado aficionados? Supposedly they've exploded in popularity within the last decade or so. As for me, I've never been a huge fan. Firstly, in sushi I find it abominable (in Japan, the very idea of avocado in sushi just does not exist as a concept, it's a US-Hawaii invention) but I don't mind avocado toast or guacamole yet I rarely consume either. I don't consume avocado products more than 1-2 times a year if that.

 

Just curious who among us is part of the trend that has made it so popular and is it part of local cuisine where you live or not.

[Mike E 11,739]

Been eating them since the 1970s.  I assume that’s when they became a mainstream staple in America. They are part of the diet pretty much everywhere I’ve been to in America.  

Edited February 18, 2022 by Mike E

[millefleur 5,046]

47 minutes ago, Mike E said:

Been eating them since the 1970s.  I assume that’s when they became a mainstream staple in America. They are part of the diet pretty much everywhere I’ve been to in America.  

That's surprising to me because during my childhood in the Southeast I never saw one! I didn't even know what an avocado was until I went to NYC as a teen and saw them on the menu at vegetarian and other "trendy" restaurants.

 

Maybe I grew up in some weird black hole in the States where avocados were not a thing, lol.

[Ban Hammer 13,332]

avocados 🤢

[laylalex 7,284]

We always had avocados growing up. Our neighbors had a couple of avocado trees and they were very generous in sharing their crop. It seems like a pretty normal ingredient to me, and I eat them in salads, sandwiches, guacamole, on toast, and in poke. My husband said he saw them in the supermarket when he was a kid but they were very expensive, and it wasn't until he was an older teenager that he started eating them pretty regularly, mostly in sandwiches. I'm a big fan, healthy fats and lots of vitamin E. I have to be careful though, because they're high in potassium (which is good!) but I take meds for my migraines that raise my potassium levels so I've cut back.

[seekingthetruth 1,246]

6 hours ago, Mike E said:

Been eating them since the 1970s.  I assume that’s when they became a mainstream staple in America. They are part of the diet pretty much everywhere I’ve been to in America.  

Same for me growing up in SoCal.  A lot of people had avocado trees in their yards.

 

There used to be avocado orchards in California.  Are those gone now?

[millefleur 5,046]

27 minutes ago, seekingthetruth said:

There used to be avocado orchards in California.  Are those gone now?

I've heard avocados are horrible for the environment because they are water hogs. Given the droughts in CA, maybe that's why a lot of the growing moved to Mexico?

[laylalex 7,284]

They are pretty water intensive, but my understanding is that it's just cheaper to grow them in Mexico than here. However, California is still the largest producer of avocados consumed in this country (LA Times says 10% of total consumption: https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-02-14/avocado-suspension-mexico-michoacan-california-farmers-supply).

 

I know when I go down to northern San Diego County, Fallbrook is a major center. There's actually an avocado festival there coming up in April: https://www.fallbrookchamberofcommerce.org/avocado-festival/ Also Fallbrook is a really cute town with some good food, worth a visit and so, so lush and green.

 

I think I've also seen groves (groves?) of avocados outside of SLO. 

[Boiler 45,467]

1968
Marks & Spencer claim they introduced avocados to UK supermarkets, when they stocked them as 'avocado pears' in 1968. At the time, we Brits did not take to them.

People were confused by the name: when one customer complained after she’d stewed her avocado pear and served it with custard, M&S even started selling them with leaflets explaining they were intended to be a salad item. 

[laylalex 7,284]

Avocados go very nicely with chocolate -- I've made this (or something like it) and it was really delicious: https://www.gordonramsay.com/gr/recipes/chocolate-and-avocado-mousse/

 

Here's a particularly gross-looking way with avocados:

[millefleur 5,046]

17 minutes ago, laylalex said:

Avocados go very nicely with chocolate -- I've made this (or something like it) and it was really delicious: https://www.gordonramsay.com/gr/recipes/chocolate-and-avocado-mousse/

 

Here's a particularly gross-looking way with avocados:

That looks so much like a a Russian salad! They have all kinds of weird mound and cake looking things that are actually salads. I feel like calling it a salad is odd, the word "mold" feels more appropriate.

[Allaboutwaiting 2,503]

 

 

Fun fact: avocado in Spanish is aguacate, from the nahuatl word ahuacatl, which means testicle.

 

P.S.: It has other names in different Spanish speaking countries.

 

You're all welcome. 😁

Edited February 19, 2022 by Allaboutwaiting

[TBoneTX 45,266]

If someone cuts/peels/pits a non-mushy avocado, I'll eat the whole thing myself.

 

There's quite a technique to picking avocados in the store.  Mrs. T-B. had the knack; my skill was hit-or-miss.

1 hour ago, Allaboutwaiting said:

avocado in Spanish is aguacate

And abogado is "lawyer" in Spanish.

When Mrs. T-B. served avocados, I'd say, "Oh, an abogado!"

1 hour ago, Allaboutwaiting said:

ahuacatl, which means testicle

Everyone calls them huevos ("eggs").  That sounds rather nuts.

[laylalex 7,284]

12 hours ago, millefleur said:

That looks so much like a a Russian salad! They have all kinds of weird mound and cake looking things that are actually salads. I feel like calling it a salad is odd, the word "mold" feels more appropriate.

 

 

 

Described as "hot dog jello salad" which 100% made my stomach flip: