We spend quite a bit of our lives crowded around a table shoveling (or gracefully forking) food into our mouths. This time we spend–about 70 minutes a day according to Tempo really adds up over time, consuming about 3.66 years of our life.
Understandably, then, we often put a good bit of time determining what exactly it is that we’ll be eating on a daily basis. One of the most popular places to see recipes is, of course, Pinterest. I myself am guilty of browsing the site for images of appetizing food, then heading to the kitchen to whip it up.
When you use online guides like Pinterest to help dictate what you’ll be eating, you begin to notice trends emerge. If a food becomes “in,” you begin to see it in more and more recipes, while foods that have fallen out of favor–often for health reasons–tend to show up less and less.
One food, however, has seemingly exploded, going from few and far between to a staple in a healthy number of Pinterest recipes.
That ingredient is the avocado.
Where do They Come From?
Avocados are often grown in Mexico and imported to the United States. The necessity for a Mediterranean climate void of frost and with little wind makes the cultivation of avocados elsewhere somewhat difficult. Despite some being grown in America (Florida, Arizona, California, etc), about 45% of the world’s supply comes from Mexico.
Unfortunately, due to California’s drought issues, the US-based avocado market struggled recently, driving up prices across the country. Apparently, eating those Pinterest recipes isn’t as cheap as you might have thought.
Why Are They So Popular?
In the last five or so years, the popularity of avocados has skyrocketed. In fact, the market for the healthy snack has gone up fourfold in recent years. That’s four times as many avocados being consumed across the country, thanks in part to lifted restrictions.
One reason is simply due to availability. Before the 1990s, the US was unable to import fruit from Mexico. As I mentioned above, Mexico is the world’s largest avocado producer. The ban forced consumers to get most of their avocados from California, which can’t grow year-round. When the ban was lifted, avocado imports, naturally, went up.
Perhaps the biggest reason that avocados have jumped in popularity recently is due to the benefits to those who work it into their recipes. Studies have shown that people have recently become more conscious of what they’re eating, striving to eat healthier now than they have before. The health benefits of avocados can’t be understated–they’re nutritious, offering good doses of various vitamins and healthy fats.
What You Can Make With Them
Avocados, having their roots in Mexico, are used in a number of Mexican dishes. The obvious one being guacamole. However since their explosion, the tasty fruit has been worked into a number of recipes both simple and extravagant from deviled eggs and soups to main dishes and meals composed around them. To explore a few visit AllRecipes.com or peruse some of the suggestions here.
