Attack of the 50-ft. Avocado Trivia Quiz

Answer: Alligator pear

The word avocado can refer to either the tree that produces the fruit or the fruit itself. The fruit can also be referred to as an alligator pear or avogado pear. Some say that it was the misunderstanding of 'avogado pear' that led to the term 'alligator pear'. At any rate, the fruit's shell does somewhat resemble alligator skin.

The original word for the avocado was 'ahuacatl' in Náhuatl. The English term 'avocado' comes from the Spanish word for 'advocate', though the word used for the fruit in Spanish is 'aguacate'.

Answer: Banana

Lauraceae is the Laurel family of plants, and some of its more notable members include cinnamon, sassafras, camphor, avocado, and spicebush. These plants like mild temperate or tropical regions, and many of them are evergreen.

The banana belongs to the Musaceae family of plants.

Answer: Monounsaturated fat

Over half of the calories you get from avocados is from fat. Avocados contain mostly monounsaturated fats, which are better for you than saturated fats. Avocados are actually good for vegetarians and vegans since they provide a good source of fat and protein that non-vegetarians get from meats and dairy products.

Answer: Berry

The avocado is a fleshy fruit, and there are two types of fleshy fruits: drupes and berries. Drupes, like peaches, have hard endocarps (pits or stones), but the avocado has a fleshy endocarp. Though most berries have more than one seed, the avocado is classified as a single-seeded berry.

Answer: Parts of the avocado can be toxic to dogs.

The ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) has the avocado on its list of foods that can be toxic to animals. Though some pet owners do feed avocados to their pets, the bark, leaves, skin and seed of the avocado contain persin, which is a toxin. This can apply to animals other than dogs, like cats, birds, and horses. While some animals may consume avocados on a regular basis with no problems, there is still the potential for it to be harmful. It can cause intestinal irritation, congestion, vomiting, and diarrhea, amongst other things.

The fruit of the avocado itself is generally fine for animals. In fact, the pet food brand AvoDerm contains avocado oil and meal, which is rich in vitamins.

Answer: California

There are many different cultivars of avocados, but the Hass avocado is the most common in the United States. It is named after Rudolph Hass, who was a mail carrier that lived in Southern California. He was also an amateur horticulturist, who obtained a patent for the tree in 1935.

There are only a few states in the U.S. where the climate and soil are optimal for cultivating avocados, namely California, Hawaii, Florida, Texas and Arizona.

Answer: Yes

The Aztecs regarded the avocado as an aphrodisiac and a fertility fruit. They called it 'ahuacatl', which actually translates to 'testicle', because of its shape and because the fruit can often be found hanging from the tree in pairs. It does actually contain nutrients that are good for sexual health, including magnesium, vitamin E, and beta carotene.

This reputation remained with the fruit for centuries. The early 1900s saw advertising campaigns in the U.S. that either denied or played down the reputation to help stimulate sales and consumption of the fruit.

Answer: Tropical

Avocado trees like tropical, subtropical, and Mediterranean climates. They can also do well in mild temperate climates. Any area that has a heavy amount of frost and wind, however, is not good for most varieties of avocado. The tree is indigenous to the Americas, possibly originating in Mexico, though it was being widely cultivated in Latin America when the Spanish arrived in the New World, especially Mexico, Central America, Peru, and the Caribbean.

Answer: Guacamole

The Aztecs were the first to make guacamole, and their word for it was 'ahuacamolli' which means 'avocado sauce'. Though recipes for guacamole vary, many include avocado, onions, cilantro, tomatoes, and chiles. It was the Spanish who added ingredients like onions, lime, and cilantro to the dish for flavor enhancement.

Answer: Limb regeneration

Some research has shown that certain compounds in avocados are useful in the prevention and defense of certain types of cancer, such as prostate, breast, and oral. One such compound is oleic acid, which is good for breast cancer prevention.

Avocados also contain beta-sitosterol, which helps lower cholesterol levels. Not only are avocados good for your cholesterol level, but they are also good for the heart. They contain heart-healthy nutrients, such as glutathione, vitamin E, folate, and monounsaturated fats. Folate can also help in the prevention of strokes.

In some research studies, people who ate avocado with their salad absorbed more carotenoids, such as lutein. Lutein helps protect against eye diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration, and avocados have more lutein than many fruits.