Green Gold: The Avocado's Remarkable Journey from Humble Superfood to Toast of a Nation

by Sarah Allaback, Monique F. Parsons

A lively and engrossing cultural history of the avocado and the people who transformed it into an American obsession

The avocado is the quintessential symbol of aspirational living, a ubiquitous agricultural favorite, and the driver of an $18 billion global industry. How did this regional Latin American staple become a star of Super Bowl ads and a byword for wellness? Documenting more than a century of cross-cultural cooperation, cutting-edge science, and savvy marketing, Green Gold tells the remarkable story of the fruit’s rise to prominence as both a culinary and cultural juggernaut.

Anchored by the story of two exceptional trees that stood out among hundreds of rivals, Green Gold is a spirited and often surprising behind-the-scenes look at how dedicated avocado enthusiasts in Mexico and California developed an ideal fruit to sell to the world. Navigating the Depression, two world wars, Mexican revolutions, violent drug lords, drought, and disease, these pioneers were driven by the avocado’s potential to captivate the palates and hearts of consumers across the globe. Their efforts, inspired by the success of California citrus, launched today’s lucrative industry and helped the avocado win a place among such supermarket staples as oranges and bananas.

Set against the rise of Southern California as an economic and cultural powerhouse and featuring recipes (including vintage versions of guacamole and avocado toast), Green Gold is an entertaining and far-ranging exploration of the avocado’s journey to a central place in the American diet and global imagination.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Food, Food and Drink, Audiobook

352 pages, Hardcover

Published May 20, 2025

Reviews

[Cade · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book because I was hoping to pick up some interesting trivia that could make small talk anytime I find myself at a Tex-Mex restaurant. Unfortunately, that's not what I got out of this book. I would have liked to hear more about the natural history of the avocado in prehistory and even before human settlement of the Americas, but there's nothing like that. This book is concerned with cataloging how the commercial production of avocados developed from early farms in California a little over 100 years ago. There are laundry lists of varieties and significant agricultural science and business figures in the industry, but there is not much of a distinctive narrative except that avocados got progressively more popular over time and have continued growing both supply and demand significantly in recent years. That hardly makes for compelling small talk around a bowl of guac.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avocado toast has been around for a long time …

“Avocado on Toast

Remove the flesh with a spoon and mash with a fork. Spread thickly on a Small square of hot toast. Add a little salt and pepper. This is one of the nicest ways of serving avocado.

--California Avocado Association
Annual Report, 1915”

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Californian that loves avocados, I enjoyed learning about the history of avocados, how avocados became a star fruit, how avocado varieties became the hit they are, and how avocados made/make it to California. I had never considered how much science and research went into the success of avocados.

[Sawna Guadarrama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Green Gold was such an unexpectedly captivating read.

It’s narrative non-fiction, but it flows so well that I forgot I was basically reading a deep dive into avocado history and if you know me you know I LOVE avocados. The amount of research here is wild... covering all the major players, countries, and turning points that took the humble avocado (specifically the Hass and Fuerte varieties) from total obscurity to an $18 billion global industry and the world’s fourth favorite fruit.

I loved learning about the passionate pioneers who pushed the avocado forward with cutting-edge science and some seriously clever marketing over more than a century. It’s detailed enough to belong in a university library but so engaging you’ll want it on your own bookshelf. Honestly, I had no idea how much I didn’t know about avocados until I read this... such an informative and fascinating

[Patrick Pilz · Rating 5 out of 5]

All living things are not invented but discovered. From there, applications are tested, products are developed and business are born. This is the story of the discovery of a wild fruit and its commercial development from a regional kitchen staple to a world renowned delicacy affordable to most of us. The story spans for the most part the entirety of the 20th century and coincides with the development of the Los Angeles basin into the commercial hub for the fruits development to what we know today as the dominant Hass Avocado. This book follows the tradition of big history on foods, like the writings of Mark Kurlansky (Cod, Salt) and Tom Mueller (Extra Virginity). Detailed and well researched, fans of the genre will enjoy it.

[David Arredondo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book, while fun and fascinating, felt like it kept all the characters and events at arms length.

This certainly gave it a sense of objectivity—but I expect my histories nowadays to contain more of the historian and their own bias, like with the work of David Van Reybrouck, Ada Ferrer, David Graeber, and Mikhail Zygar.

I wish there was a stronger central narrative, or perhaps deeper dives into the personalities of the people involved in the avocado.

I feel like the authors toe-ed the line of trying to not piss anyone off, while also at least mentioning all the negative history (an early growers’ involvement in eugenics, the modern connection to drug traffickers and extortion, etc.)

I still had a great time and learned a lot. Worth reading if you like history and avocados.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super interesting book about the history of the avocado! Plant explorers, trade wars, cartels, and even spies all tied together in the story of two mother trees! Really enjoyed this one!

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up.

I had no idea that I would enjoy a book about avocados so much, but it was really interesting. Narration was also great on audio.

[Margaret McCamant]

I began reading this book, but had to return it to the library for someone else's hold. I hope to try it again.