Ahuacatl/aguacate/abacate/avocat/avocado/alligator pear/palta.

• Author: Meadows, Anne
• Position: Includes avocado recipes

When the Aztees ruled Mexico, game animals were scarce, and most of the available protein lived in the water or on the wing. To supplement their largely vegetarian diet, the Aztecs developed a taste for such delicacies as frogs, iguanas, newts, tadpoles, water flies, larvae and winged ants. A special favorite, the agave worm, was often served with a sublime sauce of chili pepper, tomato and avocado.

The Aztecs considered the avocado an aphrodisiac and called it ahuacatl, or testicle, perhaps because the fruit hung in suggestive pairs from shiny-leafed, anise-scented trees. The Spanish conquistadors called the avocado aguacate and the fiery sauce aguacamole, later shortened to guacamole.

Mexicans today have more meat on their menus, but guacamole remains the favored accompaniment. The descendants of Aztec and conquistador alike eat it with everything from beef, poultry and fish to refried beans, cheese and tortillas--or with nothing but a fork or spoon. And for every way to eat guacamole, fifty different recipes seem to exist. This is my favorite:

GUACAMOLE (Serves 4 to 6)

3 ripe avocados 1 tomato 1 small red onion 3 serrano or jalapeno chili peppers juice of l lime or 1/2 lemon 1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander (optional)

Mince the onion and peppers and place them in a bowl with the lime or lemon juice. (For milder guacamole, use fewer peppers and remove the veins and seeds before mincing.) If you like, you may add coriander (cilantro), but be advised that it is an acquired taste that not everyone manages to acquire. Cut the tomato in half horizontally. Gently squeeze the halves to remove and discard the seeds and juice, then chop the tomato into small pieces and add them to the bowl. Cut the avocados in half lengthwise, twist them open, and remove the pits, prying them loose and lifting them out with your fingernails or the tip of a sharp knife. Cradling the avocado halves in your palm, mash the flesh with a fork, then scoop the pulp out of the shells with a spoon. If you like a smoother texture, force the pulp through a sieve with the back of a spoon. Add the mashed avocado to the bowl and stir briefly with a wooden spoon. Serve the guacamole with tortilla chips.

Some cooks recommend leaving a pit in the bowl to keep the avocado from turning dark with exposure to the air. I don't think the pit helps, but lime or lemon juice certainly does.

As the Aztecs were savoring their agave worms, European sailors making the passage to the...