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Guacamole (called guacamol in Central America
Central America

Central America is a central geography region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmus portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast....
 and Cuba
Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is a country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba , the island of Isla de la Juventud, and several adjacent small islands....
) is an avocado
Avocado

The avocado , also known as palta or aguacate , butter pear or alligator pear, is a tree native to Mexico, South America and Central America, classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae....
-based relish
Relish

A relish is a cooking pickling, chopped vegetable or fruit food item which is typically used as a condiment. The item generally consists of discernible vegetable or fruit pieces in a sauce, although the sauce is subordinate in character to the vegetable or fruit pieces....
 or dip.

a class="link1" onMouseover='showByLink("m1888619",this)' onMouseout='hide("m1888619")'href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Aztec">Aztec
Aztec

Aztec is a term used to refer to certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl and who achieved political and military dominance over large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the Late post-Classic period in Mesoamerican chronology....
 origin, it was originally valued for its high fat
Fat

Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water. Chemistry, fats are generally ester of glycerol and fatty acids....
 and vitamin
Vitamin

A vitamin is an organic compound required as a nutrient in tiny amounts by an organism. A compound is called a vitamin when it cannot be biosynthesis in sufficient quantities by an organism, and must be obtained from the diet....
 content. Guacamole was originally made by mashing the avocado with a molcajete
Molcajete

A molcajete is a stone tool, the traditional Mexico version of the mortar and pestle tool, similar to the South American batan used for grinding various food products....
 (a type of mortar and pestle
Mortar and pestle

A mortar and pestle is a tool used to crush, grind, and mix substances. The pestle is a heavy stick whose end is used for pounding and grinding, and the mortar is a bowl....
) and adding tomato
Tomato

The Tomato is an herbaceous, usually sprawling plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family, as are its close cousins Nicotiana, potatoes, aubergine , chilli peppers, and the poisonous Atropa belladonna....
es and salt
Edible salt

Salt is a dietary mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride that is essential for animal life, but toxic to most land plants. Salt flavor is one of the taste#Basic_tastes, an important Salting_ and a popular food seasoning....
.






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Guacamole (called guacamol in Central America
Central America

Central America is a central geography region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmus portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast....
 and Cuba
Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is a country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba , the island of Isla de la Juventud, and several adjacent small islands....
) is an avocado
Avocado

The avocado , also known as palta or aguacate , butter pear or alligator pear, is a tree native to Mexico, South America and Central America, classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae....
-based relish
Relish

A relish is a cooking pickling, chopped vegetable or fruit food item which is typically used as a condiment. The item generally consists of discernible vegetable or fruit pieces in a sauce, although the sauce is subordinate in character to the vegetable or fruit pieces....
 or dip.

History

Molcajete
Of Aztec
Aztec

Aztec is a term used to refer to certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl and who achieved political and military dominance over large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the Late post-Classic period in Mesoamerican chronology....
 origin, it was originally valued for its high fat
Fat

Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water. Chemistry, fats are generally ester of glycerol and fatty acids....
 and vitamin
Vitamin

A vitamin is an organic compound required as a nutrient in tiny amounts by an organism. A compound is called a vitamin when it cannot be biosynthesis in sufficient quantities by an organism, and must be obtained from the diet....
 content. Guacamole was originally made by mashing the avocado with a molcajete
Molcajete

A molcajete is a stone tool, the traditional Mexico version of the mortar and pestle tool, similar to the South American batan used for grinding various food products....
 (a type of mortar and pestle
Mortar and pestle

A mortar and pestle is a tool used to crush, grind, and mix substances. The pestle is a heavy stick whose end is used for pounding and grinding, and the mortar is a bowl....
) and adding tomato
Tomato

The Tomato is an herbaceous, usually sprawling plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family, as are its close cousins Nicotiana, potatoes, aubergine , chilli peppers, and the poisonous Atropa belladonna....
es and salt
Edible salt

Salt is a dietary mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride that is essential for animal life, but toxic to most land plants. Salt flavor is one of the taste#Basic_tastes, an important Salting_ and a popular food seasoning....
. After the arrival of the Spanish
Spanish Empire

The Spanish Empire was one of the largest empires in world history, and one of the first global empires. It included territories and colonies ruled by Spain in Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania between the 15th and late 19th centuries....
 conquistador
Conquistador

Conquistador is the name given to the Spaniards soldiers, leaders, List of explorers, and adventurers involved in the conquest of the Americas following the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492....
s, guacamole became popular in Spain. The name guacamole comes from an Aztec dialect via Nahuatl
Nahuatl language

Nahuatl is a group of related languages and dialects of the Nahuan branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family.Collectively they are spoken by an estimated Nahua peoples, most of whom live in Central Mexico....
 ahuacamolli, from ahuacatl (="avocado") + molli (="sauce"). In Spanish it is ; in American English
American English

PhonologyIn many ways, compared to English language in England, North American English is conservative in its phonology. Some distinctive accents can be found on the East Coast of the United States , partly because these areas were in contact with England, and imitated prestigious varieties of English English at a time when those varieties we...
 it is , and in British English
British English

British English or UK English is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere....
 sometimes .

Ingredients

Ripe avocado
Avocado

The avocado , also known as palta or aguacate , butter pear or alligator pear, is a tree native to Mexico, South America and Central America, classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae....
s, lime
Lime

Lime may refer to:...
, and salt
Edible salt

Salt is a dietary mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride that is essential for animal life, but toxic to most land plants. Salt flavor is one of the taste#Basic_tastes, an important Salting_ and a popular food seasoning....
 are common to most recipes. Lime or lemon
Lemon

The lemon is the common name for Citrus limon. The reproductive tissue surrounds the seed of the angiosperm lemon tree. The lemon is used for culinary and nonculinary purposes throughout the world....
 juice is added not only for flavour but also to slow the reaction of the enzyme that causes browning. If the avocado
Avocado

The avocado , also known as palta or aguacate , butter pear or alligator pear, is a tree native to Mexico, South America and Central America, classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae....
 is mashed without being diced into small cubes, the guacamole will brown sooner.

Other common ingredients include minced tomatoes, minced or grated red onion
Red onion

Red onions, sometimes called purple onions, are Cultivar of the onion with purplish red skin and white flesh tinged with red.These onions tend to be medium to large in size and have a mild to sweet flavor....
, black pepper
Black pepper

Black pepper is a flowering plant vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning....
, chili pepper
Chili pepper

Chili pepper is the fruit of the plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the Solanaceae, Solanaceae. Botany considers the plant a berry bush....
, garlic
Garlic

Allium sativum L., commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion family Alliaceae. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, and chive....
, cumin
Cumin

Cumin is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to East India....
, and cilantro. Adding a few drops of coconut milk
Coconut milk

Coconut milk is a sweet, milky white cooking base derived from the meat of a mature coconut. The color and rich taste of the milk can be attributed to the high coconut oil content and sugars....
 or regular milk
Milk

Milk is an opaque white liquid produced by the mammary glands of female mammals . It provides the primary source of nutrition for newborn mammals before they are able to digestion other types of food....
 can increase the smooth texture of the guacamole and add a subtle hint of sweetness.

Traditional Mexican standard ingredients include avocados, minced tomatoes and white onions, fresh coriander
Coriander

Coriander is an annual plant herb in the family Apiaceae. It is also known as cilantro, particularly in the USA. Coriander is native to southwestern Asia west to north Africa....
, lime, garlic salt, and salt and pepper (added to taste).

Commercial guacamole

Guacamole
Prepared and fresh guacamole is available in stores, often available refrigerated. The non-fresh guacamole most like fresh is preserved by freezing or sometimes high pressure
High pressure

High pressure science and engineering is studying the effects of high pressure on materials and the design and construction of devices, such as a diamond anvil cell, which can create high pressure....
 packaging. Other non-fresh preparations need higher levels of fillers and artificial preservatives to be shelf stable
Shelf stable

In the food processing industry, shelf stable means that a typically refrigerated product has been altered so it can be safely stored and sold in sealed container at room temperature while still having a useful shelf life ....
.

One of the world's largest food companies, Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods

Kraft Foods, Inc. is the second-largest food and beverage company headquartered in the United States and the third largest in the world .The Philip Morris Company , acquired Kraft for $12.9 billion in 1988, eventually merging it with another food subsidiary, General Foods, which it had acquired in 1985....
, came under fire with consumer complaints and lawsuits regarding Kraft's commercial guacamole. The main issue was that Kraft's guacamole contained less than 2 percent avocado and contains hydrogenated oils and artificial colors to try to approximate the consistency and color of avocados. (Whereas typical recipes might have a minimum of 25 percent.)

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