Technically, Sept.16 is National Guacamole Day, but realistically it’s everyday for many of us. The avocado toast captures the zeitgeist of the last decade as the most popular and Instagram-able avocado dish, but they are best known as the main ingredient of guacamole. The 14th-century Aztecs first created the delicious dish 700 years ago, according to Avocados from Mexico. The name is Aztec in origin with the original name being “Ahuacamolli,” a combination of “ahuacatl” for avocado and “mulli” for sauce. The Spanish colonizers renamed it guacamole to make it easier for them to pronounce, but the recipe remained authentic.
Though it’s a staple on tacos and salads, avocados have through the years been in new and different ways that may have the Latinx community saying, ¿Qué estás haciendo? But sometimes it works so we wanted to highlight some of the wackier and unorthodox uses for avocado. Prepare yourselves for pea guacamole and avocado mermelada and let us know what you think of these!
Pea Guacamole
How can anyone forget the Peagate controversy of 2015? It started when The New York Times tweeted a recipe they’d published in 2013 by revered French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Ian Coogan, his chef de cuisine at the Mexican-influenced New York City restaurant ABC Cocina. It calls for a ratio of 1/2 to 2/3 cup fresh green peas to three avocados, along with more traditional ingredients including jalapeños, cilantro, green onions, and lime. They asked readers to trust them, but judging by the comments no one did.
Black Ant Guacamole
Black Ant in East Village in NYC lives up to its name quite literally by serving up a traditional guacamole with a twist – dehydrated black ants from Mexico. The guacamole can vary with toppings including roasted corn and cotija cheese but it’s famous for the sal de hormiga, a mix of salt and ground chicatanas – large ants harvested annually from Oaxaca. Considering the traditional roots of the dish it’s not a wacky or weird recipe however for the average person it might take a moment to adjust to eat ant salt.
Avocado Gelado
Avocado + gelato = confusion for some but this Food52 recipe is actually inspired by a Brazilian avocado shake. The recipe calls for 2 cups of avocados along with the traditional gelato ingredients plus some lemon. Avocados in desserts is becoming trendier thanks to its healthy fats so initially this traditionally savory ingredient in a sweet seems off but apparently it works.
Banana Avocado Pudding
This recipe was part of a clean eating challenge and is pretty basic but avocado pudding might not initially make much sense. Part of the appeal of avocados is that they absorb the flavors they’re mixed with so expect less avocado and more banana flavor with a creamier texture. It’s the simple recipe that also makes this one of the lighter avocado recipes on this list.
Avocado Margarita
Margaritas and avocados go together like guacamole and chips as in together but separate. Who knew tequila and avocado could harmoniously come together? Whip up a traditional margarita with one avocado ¼ cup fresh tarragon leaves and agave for this avo rita. It’s crazy enough that it could just work.
Chocolate Avocado Pancakes
These three words together are a far cry from buttermilk pancakes but the avocado is once again a textural addition. Avocados for breakfast are more likely to be a topping on some chilaquiles not in a pancake but fans of moist panqueques can give this a try. If you got one that’s already browning a bit – which happens more often than not – this is a chance to not let it go to waste.
Avocado Cheesecake
Avocados are loaded with fiber, potassium, monounsaturated fatty acids, and Vitamin C among other healthy nutrients so you can feel less guilty trying out cheesecake with avocados. This recipe also calls for coconut cream which combined with the added creaminess of the avocado makes for one tart and slightly less guilt inducing treat.
Avocado Chocolate Frosting
Avocado and chocolate are a popular and healthier combination commonly used for desserts. The ever versatile fruit (yes, avocados are technically fruit) is the preferred alternative to butter when people want to make healthyish recipes and here it’s no different. A whole avocado, some cocoa powder and a little maple syrup are whipped together for a quick, silky, and tasty frosting.
Avocado Marmalade
Now that we’ve established avocados are fruit it may not sound as weird to make a mermelada out of it. This vegan recipe is a hipster dream made with chia seeds and coconut sugar. It’s one of the more experimental recipes but if there’s anything this list has made clear it’s that avocados are one of the healthiest and adaptable foods you can cook with. Eat this on its own or give a try on un pancito, either way let us know if it works.