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From avocado toast to guacamole and sushi rolls to spris, a layered fruit juice in Eithiopia, avocados are a big-time ingredient all over the world.

This pear-shaped fruit is from a tree that is native to Mexico and Central America. There is evidence that it has been cultivated in Central America since 5,000 BC. The Mayans believed the avocado had magical powers and was an aphrodisiac. Perhaps due to its appearance, the Aztecs named the fruit "ahuacat," which means "testicle."

Avocado's amazing silky texture is due to its high-fat content of over 20 percent (it is the beneficial, monounsaturated type). Sailors used to call avocados "butter pears" and actually used the flesh as you would use butter. In the U.S., California is the largest producer of avocados. While there are many varieties grown, the most popular is the Hass variety.