A Spanish conquistador, Fernández de Oviedo, is said to have been one of the first Europeans to try an avocado, in the early 16th century. “In the centre of the fruit is a seed like a peeled chestnut, and between this and the rind is the part which is eaten, which is abundant, and a paste similar to butter and of very good taste,” he wrote in his glowing early version of a food blog.