Of all the nutrient trends to come and go, the avocado trend seems to be one that perseveres. From green smoothies to avocado museums, people can't get enough of this dark-green superfood. Admittedly, I've too been sucked into the vortex of avocado lovin'.

Little did I know that every time I ordered a side of guacamole or a California whorl that I was eating something named after the male ballocks. The shape could take given information technology away, but and so again, who would really proper noun a fruit afterward that?

A Cursory History

guacamole, salsa, vegetable, avocado, jalapeno
Jocelyn Hsu

This mean solar day and age, we're able to enjoy avocados on a daily basis. It wasn't always the instance, but luckily we're neighbors with the region that started the avocado craze. In fact, Mexico accounts for about 80% of the avocado distribution in the U.S., according to a 2017 USDA report.

Avocados may be a hot commodity now, but their popularity dates back to about 500 BC in Mesoamerica (Mexico and Cardinal America). Around this fourth dimension, Mesoamerica was filled with Nahuatl-speaking Aztecs. Upon discovering the cute fruit,  the Aztecs named information technologyāhuacatl, which straight translates to... "testicle."

Call it a lucky gauge or just common sense, but the texture, shape, and size probable gave the avocado its iconic name — not to mention the way they hang in pairs from the tree.

Today's Translation

avocado
Marie Chantal Marauta

It turns out that the translation is one of the yesteryear, and "avocado" isn't a synonym for the gonads subsequently all. The name evolved presently after Spanish conquerers arrived and began to adapt Mesoamerican culture. This is when lots of words were simplified or gently revised; for example, mizquitl became mesquite, coyotl became coyote, etc.

The same happened with āhuacatl, which was revised and ended upwardly losing its reproductive connotation in the process. Information technology became "aguacate," which is the nowadays 24-hour interval Spanish loanword for avocado, so the association with testicle went away with the proper name alter.

And so What Does Guacamole Mean?

vegetable, guacamole, herb, sauce, salad
Jocelyn Hsu

Believe it or not, people have speculated that guacamole translates to "testicle sauce." Although it seems far-fetched, there'southward an ironic curveball to the avocado-testicle debacle. The Nahuatl discussion, mōlli, means "sauce." Told you information technology was ironic!

As much as people would love to think that guacamole has a cloak-and-dagger dirty significant, it'southward merely a mere coincidence. Snopes debunked the myth with the insight from a Mesoamerican language specialist, Dr. Frances Karttunen.

He says that because the original word was modified into a give-and-take that doesn't carry the same meaning, then it is non a discussion that signifies the male person organ. As Snopes put information technology, comparison "guacamole" to "testicle sauce" is the same as saying baseball game means "base-testicle."

Avoca-ball

avocado seed, avocado pit, avocado
Jocelyn Hsu

We can all remainder easy knowing that our avocado toast isn't really testicle toast, and maybe next fourth dimension you're getting your weekly produce you lot'll remember the history behind the word.

This delicious fruit - aye, it'southward a fruit - has a strong history of cost fluctuations, so before the prices escalate too much, go nuts! (Pun intended).