All You Ever Wanted To Know About Avocados...but were afraid to ask.
Avocado means what? You have got to be kidding! Don't worry...we'll get there...eventually.
Folks that know me, are aware of what a sponge I am. I don't mean that I am doughy or spongy (though that might be true), rather, I have an insatiable desire to learn. I don't own a T.V., haven't watched one in years. When I want to view a scant few shows such as my friend Nan Sterman's "Growing Passion", I watch on line. But oh, do I read, and attend lectures, and really enjoy spirited and informative conversation with friends over a cup of tea.
One of my favorite areas of study is foreign language and linguistics. I speak Spanish like a native (most folks think I am from Argentina when I converse in Spanish, go figure), speak fair German and Russian, and studied Hebrew, Greek, and Akkadian in grad school, I am currently working on Italian in my spare time. So you might say, I am a total linguaphile!
A really memorable experience was working with my friend Alan on an indigenous language study in San Quintin, Mexico, at a migrant farm worker camp. In Las Pulgas, we went from dwelling to dwelling with maps and digital recordings of various tribal languages from all parts of Mexico. Most folks aren't aware that there are vast populations in Mexico that do not speak Spanish as their native tongue; some in fact speak Spanish fairly poorly. How ironic it was to speak with Mexican citizens whose dexterity with Spanish was not as good as this 'guero's" from "Los Estados Unidos".
How fascinating to ask someone to point out on a map where they call home. Then try to match a language to their geographical area. Once we knew from whence they came, we would play play clips of various languages till we hit pay dirt. One knew when that happened. They would smile from ear to ear and say in Spanish , "that one, that one." In one camp, we discovered 53 different languages that were the day to day language of indigenous folks from all over Mexico, and increasingly from Guatemala.
You see, Spanish is the official language of Mexico, but there are 62 different distinct languages spoken in this large and diverse country, with many more dialects. In fact, most linguists would make the case that there are actually over 100 languages spoken by the people of Mexico.
Nahuatl is the most widely spoken indigenous language with nearly 3,000,000 speakers; Maya is second with 1,500,000. There are sixty other languages spoken every day in Mexico: Triqui, Chol, Huichol, Zapoteco, Mixteco, Zoque, and dozens more. You might be thinking, "John, what in the world does this have to do with avocados? I thought this article was about avocados, not linguistics or the native languages of Mexico." Oh, alright. Pardon my very slight rabbit trail; but actually, I am right on target for where I want to take you. Hang on, and enjoy the ride.
You know about the Aztecs. We all do. They built the large pyramids in central Mexico. They conquered all the people around them. They subjugated them, brutalized them, made them slaves, and sacrificed large numbers of them to their gods. They were known for cutting out the still beating hearts of their victims and giving them as offerings to Tonatiuh, or Huitzilopochtli. They sacrificed children to the god Tlaloc.They also participated in ceremonial and nutritional cannibalism. This horrified the Spanish invaders, who themselves became abusers in their own right. Let's put it this way, I wouldn't have wanted the Aztecs living next door. Being their neighbors could be a very dangerous proposition. It causes one to question why the Aztecs were chosen as the mascots of SDSU.
As the dominant players politically, culturally, and economically, the Aztecs dominated the vast sum of peoples of central Mexico. As such, a lot of their culture and language continued into the era of colonization.
Many of our favorite foods come from Mexico. One of my favorite places, is "Super Cocina" on University Ave. One of the things I like most about it is, you can't find a taco, burrito, or enchilada in the place. This is the food of central and southern Mexico, stews, meats cooked in sauces, and my favorite: "pepian"...a savory sauce made from pumpkin seeds. Various older ladies take turns cooking each day. This is "abuelita's" (grandma's) version of comfort food. Invariably, I will be the only "Gringo" in the place. If you want to go for lunch some time, count me in. I'll translate, and walk you through it. Many of the Mexican foods we enjoy were named by the Aztecs in their language Nahuatl, and have been incorporated into modern Spanish usage.
Many words in Spanish for a great number of things were brought over straight from Nahuatl. In particular many food names derive from Nahuat. These names have been for the most part, then brought right into English: Tequila, tamale,pozole, nixtamal, zapote, chayote, peyote, marihuana, mesquite, mescal, chipotle,and many, many others are Nahuat in origin. One of our favorite foods, and finally, the subject of our article comes from Nahuatl.
Avocado is a cognate, a word brought directly from another language into our own. Avocado was brought into English from aguacate from Spanish; which in turn was a cognate from the word ahuaquatl brought into Spanish from Nahuatl. Avocados come from southern Mexico, and from Guatemala. They were a favorite food of the native peoples.
Ahuaquatl was a very apt name given to the fruit of Persea americana from the family Lauracae. Why is it an apt name? You may never feel the same about avocados after learning this, but in Nahuatl, Ahuaquatl means "testicles of the tree". If you have ever cultivated this fruit and stood under it, picking a few...you fully understand their reasoning. If you have no clue what I am talking about, find an avocado tree and stand under it...you'll get the picture.
Avocado fruit, frequently called alligator pear in the past, is actually a large berry with a single seed. They are partially self pollinating. The varieties we grow are all propagated through grafting. We graft to maintain a predictable quality and quantity of fruit.
Avocados are delicious and nutritious. The oils in avocado are monounsaturated, the most healthful type of fat we can eat. 75% of an avocado's energy comes from fat. They are high in vitamin C, K, E, B and potassium. Avocados also contain phytosterols and carotenoids, such as lutein and zeaxanthin. If you haven't heard, these are very good for you.
Coming up next, we will begin to discuss avocado culture and which varieties you should grow in your own urban orchard.
Folks that know me, are aware of what a sponge I am. I don't mean that I am doughy or spongy (though that might be true), rather, I have an insatiable desire to learn. I don't own a T.V., haven't watched one in years. When I want to view a scant few shows such as my friend Nan Sterman's "Growing Passion", I watch on line. But oh, do I read, and attend lectures, and really enjoy spirited and informative conversation with friends over a cup of tea.
One of my favorite areas of study is foreign language and linguistics. I speak Spanish like a native (most folks think I am from Argentina when I converse in Spanish, go figure), speak fair German and Russian, and studied Hebrew, Greek, and Akkadian in grad school, I am currently working on Italian in my spare time. So you might say, I am a total linguaphile!
A really memorable experience was working with my friend Alan on an indigenous language study in San Quintin, Mexico, at a migrant farm worker camp. In Las Pulgas, we went from dwelling to dwelling with maps and digital recordings of various tribal languages from all parts of Mexico. Most folks aren't aware that there are vast populations in Mexico that do not speak Spanish as their native tongue; some in fact speak Spanish fairly poorly. How ironic it was to speak with Mexican citizens whose dexterity with Spanish was not as good as this 'guero's" from "Los Estados Unidos".
How fascinating to ask someone to point out on a map where they call home. Then try to match a language to their geographical area. Once we knew from whence they came, we would play play clips of various languages till we hit pay dirt. One knew when that happened. They would smile from ear to ear and say in Spanish , "that one, that one." In one camp, we discovered 53 different languages that were the day to day language of indigenous folks from all over Mexico, and increasingly from Guatemala.
You see, Spanish is the official language of Mexico, but there are 62 different distinct languages spoken in this large and diverse country, with many more dialects. In fact, most linguists would make the case that there are actually over 100 languages spoken by the people of Mexico.
Nahuatl is the most widely spoken indigenous language with nearly 3,000,000 speakers; Maya is second with 1,500,000. There are sixty other languages spoken every day in Mexico: Triqui, Chol, Huichol, Zapoteco, Mixteco, Zoque, and dozens more. You might be thinking, "John, what in the world does this have to do with avocados? I thought this article was about avocados, not linguistics or the native languages of Mexico." Oh, alright. Pardon my very slight rabbit trail; but actually, I am right on target for where I want to take you. Hang on, and enjoy the ride.
You know about the Aztecs. We all do. They built the large pyramids in central Mexico. They conquered all the people around them. They subjugated them, brutalized them, made them slaves, and sacrificed large numbers of them to their gods. They were known for cutting out the still beating hearts of their victims and giving them as offerings to Tonatiuh, or Huitzilopochtli. They sacrificed children to the god Tlaloc.They also participated in ceremonial and nutritional cannibalism. This horrified the Spanish invaders, who themselves became abusers in their own right. Let's put it this way, I wouldn't have wanted the Aztecs living next door. Being their neighbors could be a very dangerous proposition. It causes one to question why the Aztecs were chosen as the mascots of SDSU.
As the dominant players politically, culturally, and economically, the Aztecs dominated the vast sum of peoples of central Mexico. As such, a lot of their culture and language continued into the era of colonization.
Many of our favorite foods come from Mexico. One of my favorite places, is "Super Cocina" on University Ave. One of the things I like most about it is, you can't find a taco, burrito, or enchilada in the place. This is the food of central and southern Mexico, stews, meats cooked in sauces, and my favorite: "pepian"...a savory sauce made from pumpkin seeds. Various older ladies take turns cooking each day. This is "abuelita's" (grandma's) version of comfort food. Invariably, I will be the only "Gringo" in the place. If you want to go for lunch some time, count me in. I'll translate, and walk you through it. Many of the Mexican foods we enjoy were named by the Aztecs in their language Nahuatl, and have been incorporated into modern Spanish usage.
Many words in Spanish for a great number of things were brought over straight from Nahuatl. In particular many food names derive from Nahuat. These names have been for the most part, then brought right into English: Tequila, tamale,pozole, nixtamal, zapote, chayote, peyote, marihuana, mesquite, mescal, chipotle,and many, many others are Nahuat in origin. One of our favorite foods, and finally, the subject of our article comes from Nahuatl.
Avocado is a cognate, a word brought directly from another language into our own. Avocado was brought into English from aguacate from Spanish; which in turn was a cognate from the word ahuaquatl brought into Spanish from Nahuatl. Avocados come from southern Mexico, and from Guatemala. They were a favorite food of the native peoples.
Ahuaquatl was a very apt name given to the fruit of Persea americana from the family Lauracae. Why is it an apt name? You may never feel the same about avocados after learning this, but in Nahuatl, Ahuaquatl means "testicles of the tree". If you have ever cultivated this fruit and stood under it, picking a few...you fully understand their reasoning. If you have no clue what I am talking about, find an avocado tree and stand under it...you'll get the picture.
Avocado fruit, frequently called alligator pear in the past, is actually a large berry with a single seed. They are partially self pollinating. The varieties we grow are all propagated through grafting. We graft to maintain a predictable quality and quantity of fruit.
Avocados are delicious and nutritious. The oils in avocado are monounsaturated, the most healthful type of fat we can eat. 75% of an avocado's energy comes from fat. They are high in vitamin C, K, E, B and potassium. Avocados also contain phytosterols and carotenoids, such as lutein and zeaxanthin. If you haven't heard, these are very good for you.
Coming up next, we will begin to discuss avocado culture and which varieties you should grow in your own urban orchard.
Cool post!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete