Original and nutritious, this exotic fruit is famous for its beneficial properties. What does avocado taste like, how do you eat it, what dishes can you make from it? We will analyze in this article.

Avocado - description, composition and calories

Alligator pear - the fruit got this name due to its green peel, resembling the skin of a toothy reptile, and the specific shape of the familiar fruit. The official name of the avocado is American Perseus, because it was on this continent that an evergreen plant was discovered. Today, it is grown in many tropical countries.

Avocado is one of the most healthy fruits.

There are about 400 varieties of avocados. Fruits are different in shape, size and oiliness.

Perseus are:

  • oval;
  • round;
  • pear-shaped.

The length of the fruit is from 5 to 20 cm, the mass is from 200 g to 1.5 kg. The peel of a ripe alligator pear has a rich green hue, inside the fruit is yellow, oily. Fruits have a seed 2-3 cm long.

A fruit of medium ripeness has a high calorie content: about 150-200 kcal per 100 grams. This allows the fruit to be a valuable source of energy. Avocado dishes are hearty and healthy, because the fruit contains many nutrients.

The main components:

  • groups of vitamins E, C, B, K, PP, D;
  • oleic and pantothenic acids;
  • potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium;
  • polyunsaturated acids;
  • zinc, molybdenum, iron, manganese, copper, iodine;
  • alimentary fiber.

Thanks to this special composition, the benefits of avocados are the healing effects on the body.

So, the fruit with regular use has the following effects:

  1. Supplies the necessary energy resources.
  2. Improves brain activity.
  3. Increases concentration, working activity.
  4. Reduces the risk of pathologies of the heart and blood vessels.
  5. Improves eyesight.
  6. Normalizes blood pressure.
  7. Eliminates anemia.
  8. Strengthens the immune system.
  9. Improves metabolic processes.
  10. Increases stress tolerance.
  11. Rejuvenates the body, has antioxidant properties.
  12. Improves skin regeneration.

Avocado is an affordable product for vegetarians. It replaces animal fats and eggs, supplying vitamins and minerals to the body.

What does the taste of avocado fruit look like?

Avocado fruit is rich in nutrients.

Perseus has no pronounced taste.

  • If the fruit is ripe, it resembles cream with notes of walnut and greens.
  • Many people during the tasting of avocados feel the taste of needles or pine nuts.
  • If you try an unripe solid fruit, you feel bitterness. To some, this fruit resembles a raw pumpkin.
  • A ripe alligator pear inside turns into porridge.

Combining with other products, the fruit acquires new shades of taste. This feature is used in cooking.

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Criteria for choosing a mature fetus

To be able to enjoy the taste of an exotic pear, you must buy ripe fruit. What should I look for when choosing an avocado in a store?

A good and ripe fruit can be calculated by appearance.

The main criteria for determining the suitability of the fetus for consumption:

  1. Appearance. The peel of a ripe, high-quality fruit is wrinkled (smooth is cleansed worse), without spots and damage.
  2. Color. Ripe fruit has a rich dark green or brown tint. Light fruits will be unripe.
  3. The state of the cuttings. The rich brown color indicates that the fruit is overripe. It is better to buy an avocado with a light brown shank.
  4. Elasticity. If you press a finger with a finger and a trace remains, but at the same time it is solid, this indicates ripeness. Too soft fruit is overripe, and if a dent does not appear, it is not ripe.
  5. Bone. If you bring a ripe persea to your ear and shake - inside you hear the sound of a seed.

It happens that there is no way to purchase avocados immediately before cooking. If you buy fruit in advance, it is better to choose a not quite ripe fruit. In 2-3 days in a warm place it will become suitable for consumption.

You can not store Persians in the refrigerator. At low temperatures, the fruits begin to rot.

You can put unripe fruits in a bag with apples or bananas - ripening will accelerate. Avocados must be used for 5 days, otherwise it will go bad.

Some fruit cleansing recipes

Before preparing healthy dishes, pulp must be extracted from the avocado.

Cleaning avocados is a fairly simple affair.

To do this, it is worth observing a certain cleaning algorithm in the following sequence:

  1. Cut the fetus along the circumference, reaching the bone.
  2. Pick up the two halves, scroll them in different directions along the cut.
  3. Separate the fruit slices from the bone using a knife or teaspoon.
  4. Remove the bone and its shell from the core of the fruit.
  5. Peel.
  6. If it is not possible to remove the peel, then you can cut the flesh inside and scrub with a spoon.

The peel is removed in many ways. If the fruit has ripened, it is easily pulled together simply by hands. You can do this with a knife or spoon.

How to eat an avocado?

After cleaning, it is better to use a gentle pulp immediately. Under the influence of air, it quickly becomes dark.

The flesh of an avocado quickly begins to darken.

To slow down the oxidation process, it is necessary to sprinkle the fruit with lemon juice.

It also helps to keep the pleasant yellow color of the pulp of the avocado bone longer if left inside.

In the freezer, you can store the pulp in the form of mashed potatoes with the addition of lemon juice. In this case, all the beneficial properties of the fruit are preserved.

Regarding the question of whether it is possible to eat Persian walnut, there are two opposing opinions.

  • Some indicate the toxic composition of the bone (substance Persin), which can cause problems in the digestive system, allergies, edema and intoxication of the body.
  • Others talk about the benefits of the compounds found in the nut of an alligator pear.

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Examples of successful use of extracts, decoctions and tinctures from fetal bones for the treatment of infectious diseases, oncological pathologies and dysentery are known. To do this, remove the upper skin of the nut, cut what is inside, and bake on fire. Dry raw materials must then be ground and used as seasoning.

Is it possible to eat raw fruits?

In order not to spoil the taste and not destroy the beneficial qualities of an avocado, you need to eat it exclusively raw.

Avocados are most beneficial if eaten raw.

When heated, the fruit acquires a not very pleasant bitterness. Therefore, even when using perseus in hot dishes, this special ingredient is added to the composition immediately before serving.

What is avocado good for?

Since the fruit has a neutral taste, it well sets off the features of the remaining ingredients in the dish. Often it is combined with fish and seafood, vegetables and eggs, ham and chicken. Citrus fruits (lemon, lime) well reveal the taste of perseus.

Avocado pasta is a great appetizer for a festive table.

In cooking, avocados are used to make:

  • appetizers, pastas and sauces;
  • salads from vegetables, fruits, seafood;
  • cream soups;
  • stuffed dishes;
  • vegetarian rolls (as a filling);
  • side dishes for fish and meat dishes;
  • desserts, mousses, ice cream, milkshakes.

By the way, the famous Mexican guacamole is the pulp of the fruit with lemon juice and salt.

5 recipes for avocados

The ability of the alligator pear to absorb the aroma and taste of other products allows you to give the ordinary dish an original shade. Each housewife will be able to cook a culinary masterpiece using this healthy fruit. What dishes should surprise relatives and guests?

Healthy snack

Avocado sandwiches are a healthy and tasty appetizer.

For a delicious sandwich as a snack or breakfast you will need:

  • fresh bread or crisp toast;
  • chopped avocado pulp;
  • salmon;
  • hard cheese.

Spread fruit gruel on bread. Put a piece of fish on top. Grate cheese on a coarse grater and sprinkle a sandwich on it. Avocado makes the taste of salmon especially tender.

Diet salad

For those who want to lose weight, this recipe will help you get all the necessary vitamins and minerals with a minimum of calories.

Avocado salad is a gourmet meal.

Ingredients:

  • avocado (1/2 pc.);
  • egg (1 pc.)
  • green onions (50 g);
  • fresh or pickled cucumber (1 pc.);
  • olive oil (20 g).

Boil an egg and cut into cubes. Add chopped onion and diced cucumber. Before serving, add finely chopped avocado pulp and butter to the dish.

Alligator pear should be added to salads at the end of preparation so that the fruit does not turn black.

Seafood salad

This dish is suitable for a festive feast.

A great combination of avocado and seafood.

To prepare, you need to prepare in advance:

  • boiled shrimp (300 g);
  • Persian fruit (1 pc.);
  • canned pineapple (300 g);
  • greenery;
  • yogurt.

Pineapple and avocado into cubes. Put all the ingredients in a salad bowl, sprinkle with chopped herbs and pour over natural yogurt.

Mashed soup

The first dish of alligator pear is hearty and vitamin.

Useful and delicious soup!

Ingredients for Soup:

  • chicken broth (1–1.5 l);
  • avocado (1 pc.);
  • garlic (2-3 cloves);
  • greenery.

Using a blender, grind the pulp of the fetus. Add hot stock. Beat the mixture until a homogeneous consistency is formed and cool. Before serving, add the roasted garlic and herbs to the plates.

Mexican tortilla

The original appetizer will appeal to lovers of spicy dishes.

A great option for a quick whip up is Mexican tortilla.

She needs the following set of products:

  • sweet pepper (3 pcs.);
  • large shrimp (20 pcs.);
  • avocado (1 pc.);
  • lime juice (20 g);
  • olive oil (1 tbsp. l.);
  • spice;
  • thin cakes (4 pcs.).

From a half of persea, 2 peppers and 4 shrimp, make a blender paste, add oil, lime juice and spices. Spread cakes with this mass. Dice the remaining pepper and avocado into cubes and put on the tortilla with the shrimp. Wrap cones in the form of cones.

Alligator pear makes the taste of dishes unusual. Those who have tasted this healthy fruit are happy to use it in their diet.