Avocado is the heaven sent, all powerful, oh so delicious fruit you probably thought was a vegetable. They’re actually considered berries, though. Mind. Blown. Since they’re essentially nature’s butter, they’re basically the perfect addition to every meal you could possibly think of. You can put them in desserts, for God’s sake. And don’t even get me started on their health benefits.
Gif courtesy of giphy.com
But consider the prospect of a completely guac-less Chipotle burrito. Can you even imagine? I’m cringing at the thought of it. That’s not a world I want to live in, and thankfully, it’s not something we necessarily have to be worried about. This is because avocados pretty much never go out of season.
How is that possible, you ask? The answer is simpler than you might think. While California is notorious for its avocado production (bless your heart, California), its growing season only lasts from February through September. I don’t know about you, but I’m not about to eat naked sandwiches from October to January. Four months is simply too long to be without those blessed little pear-shaped beauties.
Photo by Kai Phillips-Lustick
Shout out to the 1994 ratification of NAFTA for thwarting my potentially severe separation anxiety. This act allowed for increased imports from Mexico, where avocados are magically grown year-round. In 2002, the Hass Avocado Board (yes, that’s a thing) was born, and the cooperation between California and Mexico growers began a new era of year-round avocado availability. The rest is history.
Along with the new assistance from Mexico (the real MVP, am I right?), the viral discovery of the avocado as a superfood packed with fiber and heart-healthy fats caused demand to spike 34 percent in 2012, and another ten percent in 2013. Americans eating 1.65 billion pounds of avocados a year, to be exact. We were obsessed, and we still are. People eat that shit up — literally. We’re even sporting avocado socks and shirts to express our deep and passionate affection.
The bottom line is, if you happened to be worried about losing your bestie, the avocado, with the changing of seasons, you no longer have to be. The avocado is here to stay.
Gif courtesy of giphy.com
And is anyone else bothered that yet another iOS update has passed, and there’s still no avocado emoji? You should really get on that, Apple. They’re certainly not going anywhere any time soon. Thank goodness.