Avocado: A Global History

Edible

by Jeff Miller

The avocado is arguably the most iconic food of the twenty-first century. In less than one-hundred years, it has gone from a little-known regional delicacy to global embrace and social media fame. This may seem like an astounding trajectory for a fruit that isn’t sweet, that gets bitter when it is cooked, and has perhaps the oddest texture of any fruit or vegetable. But it is precisely the avocado’s contradictions that have contributed to its ascent: the idea that this rich and delicious fruit is also healthy despite being fatty and energy-dense grants it unicorn status with modern eaters, especially millennials.
 
Through lively anecdotes, colorful pictures, and delicious recipes, Jeff Miller explores the meteoric rise of the avocado, from its coevolution with the megaherbivores of the Pleistocene to its acceptance by the Spanish conquistadors in Mexico, to its current dominance of food consumers’ imaginations.

Genres: History, Food, Nonfiction

144 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2020

About the author

Jeff Miller is associate professor of hospitality management at Colorado State University. He is coauthor of Food Studies: An Introduction to Research Methods and was named Culinary Educator of the Year in 2017.

Reviews

[Berna Labourdette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dentro de la estupenda colección Edible, leí este tomo dedicado a la palta (donde por fin me entero porqué se llama palta), sus comienzos como alimento de la megafauna, los intentos por darle un tono exótico que fueron desde quitarle el nombre de aguacate (que sonaba muy mexicano) y el de "alligator pear" (que sonaba muy rústico) y venderla como alimento refinado y luego, sano.
Buenísimo que el autor se detiene a mencionar el descalabro sobre su consumo de agua (por supuesto, aparece Chile al baile). 

[Mirani Litster · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable quick read. Well-written and full of interesting facts about the avocado. I especially enjoyed learning about the early history of the fruit.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slim but potent volume of information about avocados - I was totally surprised!

[Vince Deuschel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Edible series from Reaktion Books never disappoint. Avocado is no exception. This small volume was as packed with information as the avocado is with nutrients.

A good read for the food professional as well as the enthusiast, highly recommended.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly informative, covering the history and science of avocados as fully as possible in such a short book.

[A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want a hundred page, light read on the history of avocado production, that reads like it was sponsored by the avocado industry, then this is the book for you! Side note: why is it that every "exotic" humans eat or drink considered an aphrodisiac? There's lots of things I think about when eating an avocado, but jeepers, not sex, criminy.