Chapter 1
The prehistoric survivor
Chapter 2
The tree's secret gender-bending dance
Chapter 3
The great marketing rebrand
Chapter 4
Beyond the guacamole bowl
YOUR GOAL
Master of The secret life of the avocado
Ch 3 · The great marketing rebrand
futura This linguistic overlap inspires centuries of French puns, jokes, and confusing grocery list misunderstandings between the fruit and
Fun Fact
Banned pear: In 1915, California growers threatened to severely reprimand any farmer caught calling the fruit an 'alligator pear' instead of 'avocado.'
Glossary
alligator pear (noun)
A pear-shaped tropical fruit with rough, green skin, a large seed, and creamy edible flesh. In 1927, the California Avocado Growers' Exchange officially rejected this moniker to improve the fruit's marketability.
A pear-shaped tropical fruit with rough, green skin, a large seed, and creamy edible flesh. In 1927, the California Avocado Growers' Exchange officially rejected this moniker to improve the fruit's marketability.
Quiz
What South American Quechua-derived name is still used for the avocado in Chile, Peru, and Argentina?
Quiz
What did Spanish colonizers colloquially call the avocado due to its rich, creamy texture?
Quiz
Who is credited with first recording the word 'avocado' in English in a 1696 Jamaican plant index?
Quiz
Which major American sporting event became the primary marketing target for avocado promotion in the 1990s?
Quiz
From which Nahuatl word meaning 'avocado sauce' does the modern word 'guacamole' derive?