Guacamole (Spanish: [waka'mole]; or [?waka'mole] ( listen); sometimes informally referred to as "guac" in North America) is an avocado-based dip, spread, or salad first developed by the Aztecs in what is now Mexico. In addition to its use in modern Mexican cuisine, it has become part of international and American cuisine as a dip, condiment and salad ingredient.
Video Guacamole
Etymology and pronunciation
The name comes from an Aztec dialect via Nahuatl ?huacamolli [a:waka'mol:i], which literally translates to "avocado sauce", from ?huacatl [a:'wakat??] ("avocado") + molli ['mol:i] ("sauce", literally "concoction"). In Mexican Spanish, it is pronounced [waka'mole], in American English, it is pronounced , and in British English, . The name of the Guatemalan version has the final "e" omitted (Spanish: [waka'mol]).
Maps Guacamole
History
Avocados were first cultivated in South Central Mexico about 10,000 years ago. In the early 1900s, avocados frequently went by the name, alligator pear. The Hass avocado is named after postal worker Rudolph Hass who purchased a seedling in 1926 from a California farmer and patented it in 1935.
Guacamole has increased avocado sales in the US, especially on Super Bowl Sunday and Cinco de Mayo. The rising consumption of guacamole is due to the U.S. government lifting a ban on avocado imports in the 1900s and the growth of the U.S. Latino population.
Ingredients
Guacamole dip is traditionally made by mashing ripe avocados and sea salt with a molcajete y tejolote (mortar and pestle). Some recipes call for tomato, onion, garlic, lemon or lime juice, chili or cayenne pepper, cilantro (UK English: coriander) or basil, jalapeño and additional seasonings. Some non-traditional recipes call for sour cream or even peas as the main ingredient.
Due to the presence of polyphenol oxidase in the cells of avocado, exposure to oxygen in the air causes an enzymatic reaction and develops melanoidin pigment, turning the sauce brown. This result is generally considered unappetizing, and there are several methods (some anecdotal) that are used to counter this effect. Commonly used methods to counter this effect include storing the guacamole in an air-tight container or wrapping tightly in clear plastic wrap to limit the surface area exposed to the air.
Composition and nutrients
As the major ingredient of guacamole is raw avocado, the nutritional value of the dish derives from avocado vitamins, minerals and fats, providing dietary fiber, several B vitamins, vitamin K, vitamin E and potassium in significant content (see Daily Value percentages in nutrient table for avocado). Avocados are a source of saturated fat, monounsaturated fat and phytosterols, such as beta-sitosterol. They also contain carotenoids, such as beta-carotene, zeaxanthin and lutein.
Similar foods
Mantequilla de pobre
Mantequilla de pobre (Spanish for "poor-man's butter") is a mixture of avocado, tomato, oil, and citrus juice. Despite its name, it predates the arrival of dairy cattle in the Americas, and thus was not originally made as a butter substitute.
Guasacaca
Thinner and more acidic, or thick and chunky, guasacaca is a Venezuelan avocado-based sauce; it is made with vinegar, and is served over parrillas (grilled food), arepas, empanadas, and various other dishes. It is common to make the guasacaca with a little hot sauce instead of jalapeño, but like a guacamole, it is not usually served as a hot sauce itself. Pronounced "wasakaka" in Latin America.
Commercial products
Prepared guacamoles are available in stores, often available refrigerated, frozen or in high pressure packaging which pasteurizes and extends shelf life if products are maintained at 1 to 4 °C (34 to 40 °F).
Holiday
National Guacamole Day is celebrated on Mexican Independence Day, September 16. On September 3, 2017, 815 gastronomy students set the world record in Concepción de Buenos Aires, Jalisco, Mexico for the largest serving of guacamole, which weighed 2,670 kilograms (5,890 lb).
See also
References
Bibliography
- Hartel, Richard W and Hartel, AnnaKate (Mar 1, 2009), Food Bites: the Science of the Foods We Eat; Springer Science & Business Media, ISBN 0387758453
External links
- Media related to Guacamole at Wikimedia Commons
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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