National Avocado Day is here. (iStock)
You either love them or you hate them, but there is no denying that avocados have flooded restaurant menus and social media -- and now they have their own day.
So, to help celebrate National Avocado Day today, here are seven surprising avocado facts.
1. The world record for the largest avocado is 5 pounds, 3.6 ounces.
(AP)
This is especially impressive because the average avocado only weighs 6 ounces.
2. This fruit – yes it is a fruit! – was not originally named “avocado.”
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It was called an "alligator pear" after Irishman Sir Hans Sloane called the avocado tree the “alligator pear tree” in 1696.
3. The skin of an avocado can be toxic – to cats and dogs.
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While your pets (besides birds) can eat the inside of an avocado, the skin can be toxic to cats and dogs.
4. Three men were charged for grand theft of avocados.
(AP / Ventura County Sheriff's Office)
In 2017, with the price of avocados rising, three workers on an avocado farm in California stole up to $300,000 worth of avocados.
5. All avocados are picked by hand.
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Avocados are harvested by using a 16-foot pole to reach the high-hanging fruit. Avocados tend to be more expensive than other fruits because of the high cost of labor.
6. Avocados are high in potassium, fiber, and antioxidants.
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Avocados are actually higher in potassium than bananas.
7. The conquistadors used the seed of an avocado for ink.
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They discovered that the avocado seed produces a milky liquid that turns red when exposed to air. Some documents written with the seed ink are still preserved today.