Is Avocado the new bacon?

[ipsedixit]

Has the avocado craze overtaken bacon as the new "it" ingredient?

Thus far, off the top of my head, we have:

- Subway touting avocados as one of ther sub ingredients.

- Smashburger with an avocado garden burger

- Burger King and the California Burger with guacamole

- Wendy's with a similar guacamole burger concoction.

- Baja Fresh with avocado slices (not guacamole) in their burritos and fajitas

Can an avocado yogurt be far behind? Maybe a guacamole froyo? Or an avocado cupcake?

Anyone up for chocolate-dipped, deep-fried avocado fries?

Avocado Frappuccino® anyone? Yum ...

[HillJ]

I think Greek yogurt is the new avocado!
Now Greek yogurt 'nuggets' are appearing in dry cereal...
can't imagine where this will lead.

[tardigrade]

Avocado glut + zealous Avocado Marketing Board? Last year I had a bumper crop on my tree, enough for me and the accursed squirrels.

[ipsedixit]

I was about 6 weeks too early for the WSJ.

In an article titled: "Breaking Out of Guacamole to Become a Produce Star" the WSJ writes about the growing popularity of this emerald fruit.

Money quote:
_______________________________

In consumers' minds, the avocado has been transformed from exotic "fatty food" to everyday source of "heart-healthy" fats. "We fought the health message for years and years. A fat was a fat was a fat," says Mike Browne, marketing committee chairman for the Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association, a Fallston, Md., marketing group. Now, he says, "the stars have aligned."
_______________________________

Read it here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000...

[HillJ]

Therein lies your answer.

[fldhkybnva]

Perhaps I will have officially labeled myself an idiot, but I find that avocados have no taste whatsoever, what is the appeal?

[mpjmph]

You are not an idiot. I'm convinced there is an avocado taste trait similar to the cilantro taste trait. I tried to like avocados for years, but they don't taste like anything to me, and I find the texture very unpleasant. Last summer I went out to lunch with my cousin, and watched him systematically remove the avocado pieces from his salad. He said the same thing - flavorless. I brought it up at Thanksgiving as a joke, but it turns out 2/3 of my relatives dislike avocado and find it flavorless.

[fldhkybnva]

Yea, however there are times where I "like" though I'm not sure if it's me just trying to like it as it seems like most of the world loves it. I agree...in addition to no taste, I often find it an odd texture in my mouth. Are there different varieties that have different flavors?

[khh1138]

"Are there different varieties that have different flavors?"
Oh, most definitely! Hass is the way to go, imo. If you don't like a hass avocado, yes, there must be something different about your taste buds. But there are lots of different varieties - like the zutano, which has a light smooth skin and to my palate, tastes like grass and water. I stick to the avocados with a pebbly surface that darkens - I find they have a richer, nuttier flavour.

[Bacardi1]

You may be on to something. I LOVE avocados, but my husband refuses to eat them. Says they have a strange taste & texture to him that he just can't fathom. And my husband isn't a picky eater, so I'm sure there's definitely something to his aversion.

[pinehurst]

Yes...my husband won't touch them for the same reason though I LOVE them....he will eat small amounts of guacamole, and that's it.

[julesrules]

If they are not ripened sufficiently, they have little flavour. For a while there was a "tip" circulating that you could ripen them in the microwave. This may make them softer, but they will not develop flavour. I sometimes wonder if bad chain restaurants are using such tricks to make sure they have enough "ripe" avocado on hand. Grocery store pre-made guacamole is also flavourless, to me. And I do think they are better in simple dishes. On a BALT and other sandwiches they are wonderful, but kind of a mayo/butter sub, rather than a strong flavour element.
I don't think avocado will ever become the new bacon here in Toronto. The small ones cost well over a dollar these days, and casual places charge more than $10 for guacamole. A little bacon goes a long way, not so avocado.

[Buckeye_Local]

I think one of the reasons some people say that avocados have no flavor is because they are not eating avocados grown in the Fallbrook/Poway area of San Diego County. The soil and climate has alot to do with growing quality avocados.

[julesrules]

I know people are fierce about their local avocados, and I'm sure they are great, but only Central American imports are available in Canada that I have seen. And they are not all "flavourless", although I always at least apply salt :)

[escondido123]

You are so right, too many avocados are pulled off the tree too soon and then put into refrigeration. As to growers, you can add Escondido to the list though they have fewer growers than in the two cities you mentioned.

[HillJ]

When we visit friends in Ojai we take long strolls around the neighborhoods and pass hundreds of avocado trees. Dozen of beautiful avocados would line my friends kitchen window sill and we lived on the stuff the entire time we visit.

20 years ago I would pine away for those flavors during an eastcoast winter but today my most markets are offering great quality avocado year round.

[flavrmeistr]

My favorite are the large smooth-skin Caribbean varieties. I lived on a property in St. Thomas with a tree that was well over 200 years old. The fruit was as big as your head and exquisite.

[Tripeler]

To me, avocados are not the "new bacon" but rather they are still those "good old avocados."

However, Props to Ipsedixit for asking yet another great question.

[flavrmeistr]

I lived on avocados, beans and rice for long periods when it was all we had. They were definitely the 'it food" then. Still love 'em and eat two or three every week.

[escondido123]

I consider avocado a fairly delicate flavor, maybe the exact opposite of bacon. I live in avocado country so can get the richest, ripest ones right off the tree. I still find them to be a waste on burgers but they make a perfect BLTA though my favorite is ripe avocado on toast with olive oil and salt.

[Buckeye_Local]

A dish of cold San Diego County grown avocados topped with Best Foods Mayo sprinkled with lemon juice would be good right now. I grew up in South Orange County, California and for many years the avocados in our local stores were grown in San Diego County (SDC) and were large. I moved to the Phoenix area about 4 years ago and noticed the avocados in the stores around here come from Chile or other countries in South America and are a lot smaller. They do not have the good flavor that San Diego county grown avocados have. I think Escondido123 knows what I mean? For those that have not tried it, try to find Avocados grown in San Diego County, I think you'll be hooked.

[escondido123]

And for the best avocado, get it straight from the tree fully ripe. Those have the most oil and therefore the most flavor.

[EWSflash]

I was told that avocados don't ripen until after they fall off the tree, which seemed odd to me. Was that true, or was the company I bought a box of avocados from leading me down the primrose path about the cannonballs they delivered to me (which eventually ripened perfectly, by the way)?

[escondido123]

Fully ripe and soft are too separate things. I understand that they do not get soft until picked, but the longer they stay on the tree the more oil is created within the avocado. Does that make sense?

[EWSflash]

It does- thanks very much. I can now order avocados from them without suspecting them of BSing me.
Also, since I really dislike the whole * is the new * thing, I will just say that it's time that avocados got the full benefit of the glory that they deserve, even if people will try to gild the lily by frying it, etc. since every time i"ve had a cooked avocado it's given over to a bitterness that I dislike.

[escondido123]

Fried, grilled or otherwise cooked avocados are disgusting to me. Now spread on a warm piece of toast with a drizzle of olive oil/balsamic and sprinkle of salt, that's a whole nother thing. Of course, I am talking about Hass, Fuerte and Bacon ones not those fat Florida varieties.

[Bill Hunt]

Maybe the "new tomato," but I cannot see it replacing bacon.

<<Anyone up for chocolate-dipped, deep-fried avocado fries?>>

Now here, I could see it replacing the Twinkie...

Hunt

[Davwud]

I agree. The biggest problem avocado has is it doesn't taste like bacon. Unlike bacon.

DT

[ipsedixit]

That's not the point.

It's not that avocado tastes like bacon, it's that it's become ubiquitous as the new "it" ingredient the way bacon has seemed to permeate every single facet of our dining options.

[HillJ]

My partner and I weren't able to buy avocados year round until about 5-6 years ago. Bacon has been a staple forever. So we attribute the IT factor to the availability (change) across the country. Our CA partners use to brag about pulling avocados from the trees and we would be so envious...not so anymore.

[Bill Hunt]

Oh, we are now trying to define "IT." Was that not part of President Bill Clinton's defense?

Glad to know what we are actually talking about, as it does not appear to be bacon, or even avocado.

Now, can you define what "IT" is?

Hunt

[emmekin]

"I used to be with IT. Then they changed what IT was. Now what I'm with isn't IT and what is IT seems weird and scary to me." - Grandpa Simpson.

[Bill Hunt]

Great quotation. I am there.

Seems that every 9 mos., there is a "new bacon," and it depends on where one is.

Hunt

[westaust]

Avocado and bacon go so well together! No reason for one to take the place of the other!

[pdxgastro]

Avocado and bacon on turkey is one of my favorite sandwiches.

[twyst]

Same here!

[mochamike]

there's already avocado bread, I wish there was bacon bread as well

[ipsedixit]

https://www.google.com/search?q=%22ba...

[debbiel]

Hmm...now thinking about a BLT made on avocado bread...

[Bill Hunt]

Avocado bread is one thing, but can it replace "bacon flavored beer?"
http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/17814...

Hunt

[HillJ]

I've been baking this cake for a number of years, http://joythebaker.com/2009/07/vegan-...

Avocado eggs is a regular around my place. We use avocados like butter.

[sedimental]

I love avocado ice cream and avocado chocolate velvet pudding and avocado chocolate pie!

I hope it is the new "it" ingredient...healthy, tasty and versatile. What more could you ask for?

[Big Bad Voodoo Lou]

I know Cheesecake Factory is reviled on Chowhound, but one of my favorite things to order there are their avocado eggrolls. I don't care for the Mimi's Cafe chain, but they have a burger I can always rely on, served on garlic bread, with cheese, bacon, AND avocado.

Avocado and guacamole make everything better -- they are kind of like bacon that way. In Orlando's Vietnamese neighborhood, several local shops make bubble tea (boba tea), smoothies, and shakes, including avocado shakes and smoothies. They aren't quite as good as you would hope, but somehow better than you would expect.

[debbiel]

I am too recently back on the omnivore wagon to have bacon pushed aside by avocados or anything else, with the possible exception of duck.

Avocado is a great thing for a place like Subway to have because it's so wonderful in veg sandwiches. Other than nut butters, It's the most effective ingredient I can think of for turning a vegetarian sandwich into a satisfying meal. I haven't seen much of an increase in its use in restaurants in my town, though.

[BabsW]

Avocado fries have already arrived:

http://quick-dish.tablespoon.com/2011...

[khh1138]

Oh, I was thinking of the avocado fries served at Connal's in Pasadena, CA, which is a dish sort of like chili fries - regular french fries smothered in a slightly spicy avocado sauce (but not quite as spicy as guacamole). But this sounds intriguing!

My personal favourite way to enjoy avocados has always been as an avocado "shake" - add a little milk, a little honey, a little ice - blend - delicious. An Egyptian friend taught me this delicious no measure recipe.

[debbiel]

That shake sounds wonderful.

[Kholvaitar]

Here's a recipe maybe worth a try:

The Avocado Bourbon Shake--

http://mightygirl.com/2012/07/12/migh...

[Kathleen M]

I just had a very similar dish at happy hour at a very upscale restaurant near where I live. After the first few bites, I couldn't eat any more. There was just this weird disconnect between the coolness of the avo with the "fried" taste.