Avocado

avocado, (Persea americana), also called alligator pear, tree of the family Lauraceae and its edible fruit. Avocados are native to the Western Hemisphere from Mexico south to the Andean regions and are widely grown in warm climates. Avocado fruits have greenish or yellowish flesh with a buttery consistency and a rich nutty flavour. They are often eaten in salads, and in many parts of the world they are eaten as a dessert. Mashed avocado is the principal ingredient of guacamole, a characteristic saucelike condiment in Mexican cuisine. Avocados provide thiamin, riboflavin, and vitamin A, and in some varieties the flesh contains as much as 25 percent unsaturated oil.