Did you know that September 16th is National Guacamole Day? That’s right, this delicious staple of Mexican food has its very own day, and we at Los Primos think it deserves it. Guacamole is a simple, tasty dip that people across the country enjoy both at restaurants and at home. You’ve probably had it countless times. But how much do you know about guacamole? It may be a recent addition to the Mexican cuisine Americans know and love, but it’s actually been around for a long time.
Let’s test your knowledge of this addition to Mexican food before you enjoy some tomorrow!
Let’s travel back to the 1500s.
Although guacamole didn’t take off in the U.S. until the 1990s (more on that later), it has been eaten in Mexico since at least the 1500s. Guacamole is probably much older than that, but the 1500s is when the Spanish showed up in Mexico and started borrowing and adapting the foods already popular among the Aztecs. Originally, guacamole (which is not what the Aztecs called it, but the Spanish couldn’t pronounce its real name) was just avocado. The Spanish added many of the ingredients that we think of as essential to guacamole today. Ingredients like garlic, onion, cilantro, and lime are all Spanish additions to guacamole. And we can’t deny they were all good ideas!
Now let’s fast-forward to the 1990s.
We mentioned earlier that guacamole didn’t take off in the U.S. until the 1990s. That’s a little weird, isn’t it? After all, the U.S. and Mexico share a border, why didn’t we share this popular Mexican food until recently? Well, we have the U.S. Department of Agriculture to thank (or blame) for keeping guacamole from us for so long. The USDA banned the importation of avocados from Mexico in 1914, and they didn’t lift the ban until 1997. But even then, only 19 states were initially allowed to import Mexican avocados. We’re happy to report that New Hampshire was one of them. Avocados imported from Mexico, plus avocados grown in states like California, gave a boost to the avocado-based food market, especially guacamole!
Enjoy Mexican food tomorrow on National Guacamole Day!
Now that you know a little more about the fascinating history of guacamole and avocados in the U.S., up next to going to Los Primos tomorrow for some delicious Mexican food! Enjoy our fresh guacamole with tacos, burritos, fajitas, or whatever you like.