Laurels
Magnolias
Contents
- Avocado - History & General
- Bay Leaves
- Cinnamon, Cassia & Camphor
- Sassafras
- Links -
Avocado - Persea americana
The Avocado tree is the only member of the Laurel family that's a
significant food producer. Its fruit, the Avocado, is also known as
Alligator Pear and Midshipman's Butter. Avocado and the Spanish aguacate
are derived from the Aztec ahuacatl.
Native to tropical America, this tree is a bit of a mystery. The fruit is very large with a large seed, and rather than storing energy as sugar it stores in the more concentrated form of oil which takes a lot of energy to do. Clearly the avocado co-evolved with some very large animal with high energy needs but that animal is now unknown. What is known is that people and jaguars love avocados.
Avocado oil has a higher smoke point than any other cooking oil, it can exceed 500°F/260°C safely, and has a health profile similar to Olive Oil. Unfortunately it's not commonly available.
Botanists divide avocados into three groups:
- Mexican: grow well in arid climates and can stand coldish winters. They are of smaller size with much higher oil content (15% to 30%) and more flavor than West Indian varieties and smooth or warty green skins. They are suitable for guacamole and other Southwest and Central American recipes.
- Guatemalan: Similar to Mexican varieties in oil content and flavor, these avocados are of moderate size and generally have a rough woody and somewhat loose skin. They are compatible with the California climate but not that of Florida.
- West Indian: Most are of large size and have smooth skins. They have about half or less the oil content of Mexican / Guatemalan varieties (3% to 15%) and the flesh is more watery and less flavor intense. They are not recommended for guacamole or other Southwest dishes but are fine for Avocado dip (which includes mayonnaise and/or sour cream while guacamole does not) They work well for West Indian recipes and those of the American South.
- Hybrid: Most commercial avocados today are hybrids, West Indian with some Guatemalan in Florida and various mixes of Mexican and Guatemalan in California.
- California produces 80% or the avocados sold in the U.S and also exports to East Asia where the Hass variety has become popular. Varieties grown in the state are of Mexican and Guatemalan extraction, small but high in oil and flavor. California avocados are available year round, and because they do not ripen until harvested they are warehoused right on the tree.
- Florida produces a bit less than 20% of avocados sold in the U.S.. They are all West Indian varieties with some hybridization with Guatemalan, but with West Indian characteristics predominating. They are more perishable than the California varieties so are not shipped as widely.
- Texas, Louisiana and other Southern states grow a few for local consumption.
- Mexico is the world's largest producer of avocados with 315,000 acres vs. California's 74,000.
- Worldwide Mexican/Guatemalan avocados are now grown in Israel, South Africa and Spain, West Indian avocados in South America.
Buying, Storing & Using Avocados
Unlike other fruits, the avocado will not soften on the tree. California avocados are "warehoused" by just leaving them on the tree until needed. When picked they are fully mature but will be rock hard. Because of this California allows sale of undamaged windfall, banned for all other fruits.
Look for avocados that are of uniform color without black or brown spots or bruises. When you buy them they will probably be hard and need to be left out on the counter for a few days until softened. To tell if an avocado is ready, hold it in the palm of your hand and squeeze very gently with your finger tips. You're looking for it to yield slightly but not be mushy.
Florida avocados are ready when you can feel them yield to gentle pressure, California avocados are best left for an additional day. Refrigeration can slow softening but not by much.
Once cut, avocados darken quickly from exposure to air. To fend this off brush the cut surface with lemon juice or press plastic wrap down on the cut to exclude all air. Alternatively just let the cut darken and dry. Just slice off the dark layer when ready to use.
Varieties - California
Hass
California: this smallish avocado is oval with almost no neck and has an
excellent almost smoky flavor highly suited for guacamole and other Southwest
and Central American recipes. It has good shelf life and accounts for about
80% of the California crop.The skin is hard, rough, and black, even purplish
when ripe. An over-ripe Hass will feel hollow under its stiff skin. The
Hass was an accident and nobody knows what exact varieties it is descended
from but it is mostly Guatemalan. 5 to 12 ounces and available year round.
Lamb Hass
A new variety not yet widely distributed. It is very similar to regular
Hass but larger, 11 to 18 ounces.
Gwen
California: a mostly Guatemalan variety, oval with a pebbly skin. It's
similar to Hass in appearance but a bit larger and the skin remains dark
green and somewhat pliable when ripe. Good flavor and makes good guacamole.
6 to 15 ounces and available during the summer months.
Bacon
California: a mostly Mexican variety not as flavorful as Hass but still
fine for guacamole and other Southwest recipes. It is pear shaped almost no
neck. 6 to 12 ounces and available from fall through spring.
Fuerte
California: this smooth green skinned avocado has very good flavor and
is usable for guacamole and other Southwest recipes. It is a mostly Mexican
variety, pear shaped with a noticeable neck and smooth medium green skin.
This was the original California commercial variety. 5 to 14 ounces and
available from late fall through spring.
Reed
California: this large Guatemalan avocado is oval with no neck and a dark
green, slightly pebbly skin. Most production goes to food service distribution
rather than to stores. 8 to 22 ounces, available in summer months and
early fall. It is ripe when it starts to show a few black spots on the outside
and if it feels hollow it is overripe. When ripe the flesh starts to pull
away from both the seed and the skin. Flavor is good but not as intense as
Hass.
Pinkerton
California & some Florida: this avocado has a relatively long neck, thick
flesh, small seed and very dark green slightly pebbly skin. A Guatemalan
variety but not as flavorful as some other California varieties.
8 to 18 ounces and available in winter and early spring. When buying Pinkertons
check to make sure the neck is firm as some ripen unevenly and start to spoil
from the neck.
Zutano
California: a pear shaped Mexican avocado with a prominent neck similar
in shape to Fuerte but with a distinctive shiny yellow-green skin. The
skin is smooth but very thin, some will peel easily if fully ripe but others
will not. The skin is strong enough so the flesh can be scooped out. Zutanos
are ripe when the skin turns black in large areas. Shallow dimpling in the
black area is normal but it should not look shriveled. Zutanos range from 6
to 14 ounces but the photo specimen was 5 inches long and weighed 10-1/8
ounces, 7 ounces without the pit. Available from September through early
winter.
Varieties - Florida
I have no pictures of Florida avocados because Florida growers don't ship to California - due to this state's strict regulations designed to protect crops from imported pests and disease. They are not grown in California because they need a wetter environment than is available here. On the other hand, Pine Island Nursury has a very excellent set - just click on the pictures for a larger view and details.
Brogdon
Florida, Gulf Coast: with its smooth purple skin and elongated shape this avocado
is easy to recognize. It is considered of very high quality and is grown from
Florida to New Orleans. 14 to 24 ounces.
Simmonds
Florida: a very popular early season avocado with smooth skin and elliptical
shape. 16 to 24 ounces.
Russell
Florida: this very large avocado is popular in the Latin communities and
easily recognized by its extremely elongated gourd-like shape. Very good
flavor but only moderately popular with growers due to moderate yield.
24 to 40 ounces.
Monroe
Florida: a popular high quality avocado with smooth green skin and a
neckless mango like shape. 16 to 24 ounces.
Miguel
Florida: a popular very large, high quality avocado with a smooth green
skin and a neckless mango like shape. 24 to 32 ounces.
Doni
Florida: a popular commercial avocado of good quality and very large size.
It has a smooth shiny skin and a neckless but elongated mango like shape. It
is particularly popular because it can be fully harvested before the
hurricane season. 24 to 32 ounces and available from May through June.
Choquette
Florida: a giant size avocado with dark smooth green skin and neckless
shape. With high quality fruit, heavy yield and large size it is becoming
a commercial favorite. 24 to 40 ounces and available from October through
December.
Beta
Florida: very popular commercially for very high yield and fairly good
quality fruit. It has a smooth medium green skin and neckless shape. 14 to
24 ounces and available from July to September.
Bernecker
Florida: a popular very large sized commercial variety with high quality
fruit and good yield. It has a smooth medium green skin and elongated mango
shape. 24 to 40 ounces and available from August to October.
Bay Leaves
One of the most ancient and important culinary spices in Europe and
America, Bay Leaves are sold for high prices in little jars in the spice
section of the supermarket. Look for leaves that are still reasonably
green for good flavor. Fresh Bay Leaves are much more aromatic and are easy
to grow in Mediterranean like climates. Here in
Southern California I have to hack mine back continuously to keep them from
overrunning the place.The fresh leaves are thought to have psychoactive properties and may have
been used by oracles in ancient times but they are so bitter when chewed
nobody I know of has tried to confirm this.
Indian Bay Leaf -
[Cinnamomum tamala]
Well known by Roman cooks and still used for beer brewing in the Middle
Ages, these leaves are now little used outside of the Moghul cuisine of
northern India. Native to the foothills of the Himalayas, they are easily
recognizable for having three prominent lengthwise ribs rather than just a
central rib. They are considerably stronger than the familiar Bay Laurel and
more cinnamony in flavor. Caution: packages of dried leaves labeled
"Indian Bay Leaves" are generally Indonesian
Bay Leaves which are myrtles, not laurels.
California Laurel - [Oregon Myrtle, California Bay, Headache Tree, L. Umbellularia californica] California Laurel is used similarly to the Bay Laurel for cooking but I do not recommend it. Having bit into a California Laurel fruit to see if it really did produce headaches, I had a splitting headache seemingly in seconds. Reportedly some people are sensitive to the leaves even after cooking. California Laurel is easy to tell from Bay Laurel because the leaves are more elongated and pointy.
Cinnamon, Cassia & Camphor
Cinnamon - [Cinnamonum verum (zeylanicum)]
Cassia - [Cinnamomum cassia (aromaticum)]
Cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and the Malabar coast of India
but now grown also in the West Indies and South America. Cassia is native to
Burma and is grown in China, Vietnam and Indonesia with Vietnamese
(Cinnamomum loureiroi) considered the highest quality. The
aromatic bark of both these trees is peeled and dried for use as a spice.
The two are easily confused but pretty much interchangeable in recipes.
Shown are long Cinnamon sticks (top), standard U.S. Cassia sticks (center), broken Cinnamon common in Indian groceries (right) and ground Cinnamon/Cassia (left). Preference for and availability of these spices is a mater of region. Cassia predominates in the U.S. but is difficult to find in Europe where Cinnamon predominates. China and Southeast Asia use Cassia almost exclusively. Cinnamon is used in India and Sri Lanka. Cinnamon generally has a cleaner, sweeter flavor and Cassia has a touch of bitterness.
Cassia bark is much thicker and often a darker color than Cinnamon which
can be almost paper thin. Cassia tends to curl from one side into a
cylindrical quill while Cinnamon curls from two sides into two cylinders
taking a double scroll shape quill, though exceptions will be found in both
cases. Shown are two sticks of Cassia (left), a stick of Cinnamon (top right)
and a stick of Cinnamon made up of paper thin layers.
Camphor - [Cinnamomum camphora]
The Camphor Laurel is native to East Asia where it is used in camphor
production, centered now in Taiwan where trees have been replanted so are
not depleted as they are in China. The Camphor Laurel has become an aggressive
pest in some areas where it isn't native, Australia in particular. Camphor
is used medicinally and in plastics but not in food since it is toxic if
ingested.
Sassafras -
[Sassafras albidum (North America), S. tzumu (China),
S. randaiense (Taiwan)]
The tree that defines the taste and aroma of root beer grows prolifically
in the Eastern U.S. and into southern Ontario.
Sassafras leaves are naturally mucilaginous and are used to thicken and flavor gumbo in Louisiana. Filé Powder, sassafras plus other herbs and spices, was originally a substitute when okra was out of season but now stands on its own. The leaves contain no significant amount of Safrole (see below).
Sassafras root is now banned by the FDA since the component Safrole has been found to be mildly carcinogenic, but young shoots, leaves and above ground bark do not contain significant amounts. Safrole is also controlled by the USDEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) because of its use to manufacture illicit drugs.
Links
- A1 - California Avocados - Avocado.org.
- A2 - California and other Avocados - University of California.
- A3 - California Avocados - University of California Davis.
- A4 - Avocado nutrients - Swedish Medical Center, Seattle.
- A6 - Florida Avocados - University of Florida.
- A7 - Avocado info - Gourmet Sleuth.
- A8 - Florida Avocados - Pine Island Nursery.