Text and image by Joanna Yeo @ Makansutra.
Close resemblance to...
Ladies, did you know that the green, creamy fruit that you eat in delight for its promises of prettier skin complexion actually has many pretty inappropriate names?
The origin of this native Central Mexican tree’s name can be traced back to the ancient Aztec civilisation period when it was first called ‘ahuacatl’. In Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, this means ‘testicles’. These fruits are so called due to the close resemblance in shape with the male organ as well as its reputation as an aphrodisiac, according to National Public Radio (NPR).
In Spanish, ‘ahuacatl’ later became known as ‘aguacate’. Given its shape and leathery hide, it has also earn another rather unappealing name known as ‘alligator pear ’in English.
But how the eventual name, ‘avocado’ came about was a result of the American farmers’ attempt to market the fruit in the country, according to NPR. The word ‘aguacate’ was a mouthful for the Americans. One explanation as to how the sound ‘avocado’ came about was when you say ‘aguacate’ really fast, according to ‘1001 Questions answered about trees’ by Rutherford Platt.
We wonder if the ancients would order a testicle milkshake or have a bollocks facial…
