  |
|
|
|
Guacamole is a wonderful foil for Mexican dishes especially those with tomatoes and it is always a popular chip dip. Guacamole and avocados have a long culinary history.
Ingredients
Mash up avocado with a fork or electric mixer. Add lime or lemon juice followed by remaining ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Helpful HintsThe taste of guacamole will be different depending on which combination of ingredients you use. Avocados taste better and blend better with their companion ingredients if you mash them with a fork or potato masher rather than using a mixer to blend them. Aficionados deem Hass avocados by far the best choice for guacamole. To learn more about the various varieties of avocados, check out the site maintained by the California Avocado commission. Purists do not think that citrus should be used in guacamole as it ruins the balance of the flavor. The onions commonly found in Mexico are white onions, which are hotter and not sweet like red or yellow onions. If you wish to create an authentic guacamole, select white onions. The most common peppers in Mexico are serranos or jalapenos. If you wish to create a more authentic guacamole, dice up a fresh pepper very finely rather than use the cayenne. Preserving GuacamoleIf you love the flavor of fresh homemade guacamole but find the price of avocados prohibitive when they are out of season, consider skinning, pitting, and smashing the avocados. Mix the smashed avocados with a small amount of lemon or lime juice then fill a container to the top, seal, and freeze. If the container is not airtight, the avocado will oxidize and turn brown. History and CultureThe blend of ingredients that makes up traditional guacamole dates all the way back to the Aztecs. They called guacamole, ahuaca-mulli. Ahuaca-mulli can be translated to mean avocado sauce or avocado mixture. The Aztecs prized the avocado for its high fat content. When one considers the low fat diets of the past – a fruit that could provide energy and long-term sustenance like the avocado does would be highly prized. As is often the case with highly nutritious foods, the Aztecs felt that the avocado had aphrodisiac qualities. When the Spaniards came to the New World they latched onto the avocado. Apparently, the Spaniards liked their avocados with salt, with sugar, or with both. Technically, most of what is sold in stores today under the name guacamole should be called avocado dip. Purists do not consider these products true guacamole because they contain sour cream, mayonnaise or other non-traditional ingredients.
The copyright of the article Guacamole in Recipes is owned by Melissa Howard. Permission to republish Guacamole in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|
|
|
