Avocados have become very popular over the past couple decades and have made their way into American diets. Avocados are delicious in salads, on tacos, and as guacamole.
They are typically seen as playing a vegetable role in many dishes – which is why you may be surprised to find out that avocados are in fact fruits.
Avocados are technically considered a single-seeded berry. An avocado’s single seed, often referred to as the pit, is in the middle and is surrounded by the “pericarp.” The pericarp has three layers:
- The endocarp, the innermost layer around the seed which is often unidentifiable in avocados.
- The mesocarp, which is the soft, delicious layer.
- And then the exocarp, which is the rind of the avocado.
Avocados are considered berries because, like berries, they have the mesocarp and endocarp layers.
The avocado’s mesocarp is a greenish yellow flesh with a buttery consistency and a rich, nutty flavor. The avocado’s savory flavor is what leads it to often be misinterpreted as a vegetable.
Nutritionally, avocados are more like a vegetable and are listed as such by the USDA. Avocados are rich in vitamins, magnesium, and potassium. The avocado is the only fruit with a substantial amount of monounsaturated fatty acids and many studies have linked the consumption of this fruit to healthier overall diets.
These buttery, mouth watering fruits are a staple at Chapalas. Come in and try our tacos topped with avocado, our heavenly guacamole, and our savory shrimp enchiladas with sliced avocado. Avocados are so good, we may even consider them our favorite fruit.
