Find the most important etiquette rules on how to serve and eat avocado and tips to be the ideal host or the perfect guest at the dining table.
What avocado etiquette is
Avocado etiquette is the set of rules to properly serve and eat avocado. Such rules help avoid behaviors that can disrespect hosts or guests, or make you look unpolite.
If you are hosting, follow avocado etiquette to appropriately serve it to your guests.
If you are a guest, respect avocado etiquette rules to properly eat and enjoy it.
What you should know about avocado
The avocado is a fruit from the eponymous tree. In commerce, there are 4 main varieties. Hass avocado is perhaps the most popular before Ettinger, Nabal, and Fuerte.
Avocados are round or pear-shaped. When mature, their skin ranges from dark green to black in color. Their flesh is light green in color, fat and smooth in texture. Inside, the avocado has a single large seed.
Etiquette tips to serve and eat avocado
1) How to store avocado
Store the avocado out of the fridge if it is not ripe. Store it in a cool place. Away from sources of heat or direct light. Keep it there for 1 to 3 days, until it ripens.
Store ripe avocados in the fridge. Avoid placing them in a sealed container. Do not wrap them in plastic. They will last about 3 or 4 days.
In the freezer, avocado will last for 3 or 4 months.
Once sliced, the flesh of the avocado oxidizes and starts turning brown. Thus, once sliced, you should eat avocado immediately.
2) How to clean avocado
It is a good hygiene norm to wash an uncut avocado before eating it or slicing it. Even a quick wash decreases the risk of contamination from pesticides or other chemicals.
3) How to prepare avocado
Cut the avocado in halves with a knife. Slice the fruit all around the seed. Then, separate the two halves and remove the seed with a spoon or a knife. Finally, remove the skin and slice or chop the fruit.
Avocado is best consumed raw. Only the Hass variety can be cooked for a short time without spoiling.
You can use avocado in savory or sweet dishes. Use it for a salad, a fruit salad, or sandwiches. Make guacamole dip. Add it to burgers or sushi.
The flesh of a raw avocado turns brown rapidly once exposed to the air. To slow this process, squeeze lemon or lime juice on sliced avocado.
4) How to serve & present avocado
A whole avocado can be served as a snack or for breakfast. Guacamole is best suited as an appetizer.
At meals, it is uncommon to serve avocado on its own, due to its delicate and buttery texture. You can present sliced avocado on a serving plate. Slice it from top to bottom.
Before serving avocados, remove the skin and the seed.
Serve avocado at room temperature. Take it out of the fridge between 1 and 2 hours before serving.
5) Food and wine to pair avocado with
Avocado pairs well with burgers, chicken, or ham. It goes well with most fish and seafood. Tuna. Salmon. Prawns. Shrimp. Crab. It can combine well with eggs too.
You can combine avocado in a salad with fresh cheese. Feta. Mozzarella or Mozzarella di Bufala. Stracciatella.
Avocado is ideal in salads or fruit salads. It goes well with onions, arugula, tomatoes, or red peppers. Season it with citric fruits, such as lemon or lime. Add olive oil, salt, and chili or cracked pepper.
You can pair avocado with fresh white wine. Such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.
6) How to eat avocado
Eat avocado with a fork and a knife.
You can eat a whole or half avocado as a snack. Slice the avocado in half, then scoop the flesh with a teaspoon.
Do not eat avocado with your fingers.
Avocado etiquette: the worst mistakes
Avoid the worst avocado etiquette mistakes.
- 8/10. Serving spoiled avocado.
- 7/10. Eating avocado with your fingers.
- 7/10. Serving unripe avocado.
- 5/10. Pairing avocado with the wrong food or aromas.
Additional information for properly serving avocado
How many calories per serving?
Counting calories is important to stay healthy and to correctly plan a menu.
Avocados contain 160 calories per 100 grams. A single medium-large avocado weighs around 200 grams and contains about 320 calories.
How to buy the best avocado
A crucial factor in avocado etiquette is to serve the best product possible to your guests.
Season and availability
Avocados are available all year round.
Choose the best
A ripe avocado should be firm but not hard. It should yield a slight give when squeezed. Avoid avocados with soft spots.
FAQs
Is avocado sustainable?
Avocado is one of the most resource-intensive fruits. A single avocado requires over 70 liters and over 400 grams of CO2 emissions. Thus, avocado consumption poses serious sustainability concerns.
Further, their flavor and fat texture make them one of the most hated foods. Avoid avocados if you are planning a sustainable menu for a meal or an event.