Is an avocado a fruit or vegetable?

[ChowDownBob]

I bought one recently thinking it was a fruit and could be eaten as such, but when I peeled it the inside was very dense and, to be honest, a bit tasteless (the texture wasn't all that pleasing to my mouth either). It looked, smelled, and tasted like a vegetable. But it has a stone, so does that make it a fruit?

Is it usually eaten raw too? (because it really wasn't very appetising ... )

 

[Rosyrain]

Avacado is a fruit because it has a pit in the middle, just like a peach does. They are usually eaten raw, but as a part of something. Like a slice of avacado in a sandwich, or mushed up into guacamole. Some people eat just plain slices of them, but I tend to agree with you in that they are rather bland by themselves. They are extremely good for you, so don't give up on them, just try eating it with something else.

 

[DancingLady]

Avocado is technically a fruit, but it basically functions either as a vegetable, or as its own thing entirely. I like to eat the by themselves, but they do vary in flavor intensity. Every now and then you'll get a bland one. Not sure why that is, but other foods can be like that too. Avocado is an excellent source of healthy fats, the kind that nourish you, give you good fuel and don't harm you, so if you can afford to eat them, go for it. If I could afford one a day, I would do it for its excellent nutrition. Avocados are actually known to help some people lose weight because they are so nutritious, satisfying and help the body function more efficiently.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Technically it is a fruit and ripe, I love them. It is more usual to eat them raw, but you can actually cook them and somewhere on here I have a thread relating to cooked avocado.

Here it is under the fruit and nuts forum.

 

[welsh dragon]

Another one for fruit her although I must confess I have never tried one. I've never fancied one either. They look like they are a bit mushy and not in a nice way.

 

[Caribbean girl]

Strangely enough, I have always thought of avocado as a vegetable. Incidentally, we call them pears over here, or avocado pears. I like them a lot, but they are not in season here at the moment. I would usually eat slices of them plain and find this to be okay.. However, years ago, I used to sprinkle a little salt on them to make them tastier. There are times that I would cut slices up into bite size pieces and mix them in with tomatoes and cucumber to make a vegetable salad. At other times I would just eat a slice with my meal. I have never thought of cooking them before and I really do not see that as necessary.

 

[DIna00]

I think they are a fruit.

They are very creamy and buttery. I think they almost always go well with tomatoes. Also their taste really changes depending on their stage of ripeness. If they are still hard then they taste somewhat bitter, when ripe they are creamy and buttery, then when going bad they'll have black spots inside and again the bitter taste comes up. I find if you are not used to them it can be pretty tricky to figure out if they are ready to eat.

 

[Food4thought]

It's not a vegetable but it is eaten as a starter or salad ingredient. Avacado is also the main ingredient in guacamole dip.

You can cut or peel an an avocado and eat the flesh as it is, but it is generally eaten in a salad, a sandwich or a dip.

 

[sorrowscall]

It tastes like a vegetable would, but it's a fruit. I like to crack it open and mash up the gushy parts with a spoon and eat it over the course of a day or two. It's also good when you mix it with a sushi roll. Most of the time though, it doesn't have much of a taste and I think it might generally be one of those things that are an acquired taste on it's own.

 

[tipoywizard]

Avocado is technically a fruit because it comes from the flower. It is a essential characteristics of a fruit. Avocado is very healthy fruit that contains large amount of good fats. It also rich in vitamins and minerals. Other research suggest that it also contains enzymes for good digestion. I love it as a salad ingredient and a fruit shake.

 

[ChanellG]

Avocado is an acquired taste. Not having been there when you consumed yours I can only speculate that perhaps the one you had wasn't completely ripe. It should have been mostly firm, in that it shouldn't be mushy, but not hard either. It should have been green, not yellow or brown, and it should have a creaminess about it.

If you try it again, squeeze a little lemon on it, or include it in a mixed greens salad with a light vinaigrette. It's also quite good in guacamole and in summer soups.