A lot of excitement led up to the Super Bowl. There was talk about which team was going to win, what commercials were going to be funny and most importantly, what to eat for the big game. My answer: guacamole. The star of guacamole is the avocado, a fascinating food. It’s a large berry but looks like a pear. Avocados are old as hell; they originated in Mexico over twelve thousand years ago. They are high in fat, but it’s that good kind of fat that people are always telling you to eat more of. Their health benefits are numerous and have been proven to lower your shitty cholesterol while boosting your good cholesterol. Plus, they taste pretty damn good. But let’s not beat around the bush; there is a specific reason I am writing about avocados. The Food Network did a show dedicated to the avocado, which prompted me to do more reading. And in my reading I found what has become my fact of the week: Research into the etymology of the word “avocado” led me to discover that it is derived from a word that means “testicle.” That’s right, testicle.
Don’t believe me? Read it: http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=avocado
I presume that because of its shape, the etymology isn’t surprising. But when I was buying avocados to make my guac, I couldn’t help wondering: Wouldn’t it be hard to buy underwear if your cojones were the size of avocados?
But I digress. Avocados are good in a variety of ways. First, if you slice them up with green onions and put some thousand island dressing on them, you have a simple and delicious snack. They also taste fabulous with bacon. Combine some mashed avocados and crunchy pieces of bacon with a little lime juice, sour cream, salsa, and some crushed garlic in a bowl, and you have easy guacamole that is effortless and fantastic. Just don’t tell whoever you serve it to that it’s a bowl of mashed testicles…
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