Names are important. Kiwi fruit was less popular when
everyone called it the Chinese gooseberry. There’s actually evidence we’d eat
far fewer raisins if they were labelled “dried grapes.” And, you’d probably
never order sea bass if the menu said, “Patagonian toothfish.” In 1915, a group
of California farmers met at the Hotel Alexandria in Los Angeles to discuss a
crop they hoped to introduce to the American market. Their problem: its name – ahuacate
– was difficult for Americans to pronounce. Worse, this name was the Aztec word
for “testicle,” which their fruit strongly resembled. The name “alligator pear”
seemed too slight an improvement. In the end, they settled on the name “avocado.”
The avocado is one of the most nutrient-dense foods available. It is among the
richest in fiber, potassium, vitamin E and magnesium. If that doesn’t convince
you to try avocados, consider this: the Aztecs believed them to be an aphrodisiac.
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