History of Guacamole

Guacamole has its roots in Aztec culture as early as 500 B.C., when the native peoples would mash the plentiful avocados with a mortal and pestle called a molcajete. They would add tomatoes and salt to make a food accompaniment.

The name “guacamole” is derived from Mexican and Spanish roots, specifically Nahuatl, a language of Central Mexico, from words meaning “avocado” and “sauce.”

Eventually, guacamole migrated to Spain after the arrival of the conquistadors, but avocados as a crop were not widely successful and so guacamole is not a prevalent dish there.

As Mexican foods become more common at U.S. tables in the 1950s, home cooks began to come up with variations on the more-traditional recipes. Some versions of “creamy” guacamole, sometimes called avocado dip, included smoothing agents such as mayonnaise or sour cream, which some critics claim mask the pure avocado flavor while adding unnecessary fat.

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