Avocado

Species name: Persea americana

The avocado is a fruit vegetable belonging to the Lauraceae family. Native to Meso-America, the avocado has celebrated ties to the Incans. Commercially available in most parts of the world, this fruit grows in tropical and subtropical climates only.

The etymology of the word avocado stems from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word (from the Nahua people in Central Mexico) ahuacatl, meaning testicle, due to its shape and because the avocado grows in pairs. The Incans believed that the avocado would increase fertility in anyone who consumed it. The word guacamole is derived from the Nahuatl word ahuacamolli.