Today is National Guacamole Day. And this is a day of indulgence that even health experts can get behind. There are so many nutritional benefits to avocado, you don’t have to celebrate in moderation on this one. Guacamole originated in Mexico‘s Aztec culture in the 1500s, and some god-sent saint brought it to American cuisine in the mid-1800s. We owe that person a giant bowl of gratitude! And it’s seriously sinful how easy it is to make this delicious dish. Just avocado, lime juice, tomatoes, spices and onion will do you. And really you can get away with just avocado and lime juice if you’re really in a pinch.
And since today is the day to celebrate the lovely avocado concoction, here are a few fun facts about guacamole, courtesy of mentalfloss.com.
- The avocado has relatives you might not suspect. It is a member of the laurel order of flowering plants. Other members of this family tree include cinnamon, sassafras, bay leaves and camphor. So weird. Those cousins look nothing a like.
- The most famous variety of avocado was patented by a mailman. A postal worker named Rudolph Hass purchased an avocado seedling from a farmer in 1926 and patented the plant in 1935. That original tree lived for over 70 years producing the Hass avocados we still love today.
- The avocado once had a very unusual name. In the early 20th century, the avocado was actually called an alligator pear, due to its bumpy skin. A trade group in 1927 petitioned to have the name changed and “avocado” eventually became the one that stuck.
So now that we’ve surely made your guacamole craving go through the roof, we’re not going to leave you hanging. Here are some places in Las Vegas that we think are worth checking out to celebrate National Guacamole Day.
