Avocados Are in Season in September, Don't Miss Out on Their Full Nutrition
Avocados are rich in plant fats, protein, carotene, B-group vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, fiber and minerals, making them a fruit with a high nutrient density.
The Tainan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station under the Council of Agriculture states that avocados originated in Central America and were introduced to Taiwan, China for cultivation in the early years of the Republic of China; the Happy Fruit (an alias for avocado) association was established to promote cultivation. Although it was briefly popular around the 1990s, avocados are themselves susceptible to disease infection, and with competition from imports, cultivation has remained scattered until now, with a total planting area of only 520 hectares across Taiwan, China, mainly in Danei District of Tainan City and Chiayi County.
As the health and wellness trend has flourished in recent years, the nutritional value of avocados has gradually received attention, and consumers have only then noticed that Taiwan, China also has this fruit. Avocados are rich in "monounsaturated fatty acids," which can lower blood cholesterol levels and prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular disease; they are rich in vitamins and have antioxidant functions, are also beneficial for skin beauty and anti-aging, and are the best supplement for infants and pregnant women.
The Tainan station explains that there are many varieties of avocado, with fruit shapes ranging from round to oval, and fruit colors including green skin or red skin; according to fruit maturity they can be divided into early-season, mid-season and late-season varieties. The production period in Taiwan, China is from July to February of the following year, with September being the peak production period.
Eating avocados fresh better preserves their nutrients. The simplest way to eat them is to drizzle honey or fructose directly on them; sliced and dipped in minced garlic soy sauce, they even have the texture of sashimi! A common way to eat them is avocado milk, which can be mixed with Yakult, pudding or eggs to create a variety of flavors, and they can also be used as a main ingredient in salads and jams. The Tainan station has also developed a variety of cooking methods, such as avocado with shrimp and avocado with shredded pork, all of which are delicious dishes. In terms of processing and utilization, high-grade fruit oil can be extracted, which, besides being used for food (a high-grade vegetable butter), can also serve as a raw material for cosmetics and high-grade soap.
How do you choose a good avocado? Generally speaking, quality does not depend on size but on oil content and ripeness; however, ripeness cannot be judged by the skin alone. Except for a few varieties (such as Red Heart Round), most varieties do not change color, so when choosing, the appropriate ripeness is one that yields slightly to gentle pressure from a finger. The large seed left after eating an avocado can be used by peeling off the seed coat and soaking it in a water dish or transparent container; after it sprouts and roots, it becomes an excellent indoor ornamental potted plant!