Is there a genetic component to how an avocado tastes to someone? I know avocados are adored, but I also know more than a few folks who say it doesn’t really taste like anything to them. I’m one of those people. I don’t like nor hate avocado, I’m indifferent. It adds nothing at all to anything it’s with, it doesn’t taste like anything, it’s completely irrelevant.
I remember reading that to some people cilantro tastes like soap because of a gene (or lack of a gene) that they have. Thank god I’m not one of those people. Could avocado be a similar case?
Like most fruit found in a supermarket, the common Haas avocado is grown not for its favor, but for its ship-ability, shelf life and regular, abundant yields in the orchards. There are varieties grown in Hawaii, Mexico and other areas that have a higher oil content and if allowed to ripen longer on the tree, have a much richer flavor. If you ever get to one of these places, try a local avocado. You might have a different experience.
That being said, because of its low sugar content, its never going to be as tasty as a sweet, juicy peach. Guacamole only uses avocados as a base. Many different kinds of spices are added before the mashed avocados become guacamole. At minimum I add a pinch of salt.
But if the Haas avocado is at fault, why do people pursue it, pay extra for it, go gaga for it on salads and sandwiches and even burgers? I’ve seen tablemates purr like kittens over guacamole that’s tasteless green goop with salt, lemon and garlic added to it. Why bother if it doesn’t taste like anything? That’s why I figured it must be me: I can’t taste avocado because of whatever in my makeup, genetic or otherwise.
I’m doubtful that we can explain dislike of or aversion to numerous foods as being determined by genetics.*
Tastes have a large cultural/upbringing component.
Avocado has a mild, bland taste so it’s difficult to imagine being revolted by it, beyond the fact that it’s green and often prepared in a mooshy fashion.
*Yes, it’s been shown there are potential but not definitively determined connections to an actual genetic component to cilantro aversion. Some self-professed cilantro detesters have however developed at least a tolerance to the herb.
When I was a kid in California I loved, loved, loved avocados. When I got dragged to a flyover state, there were no avocados. And then one day the supermarket had them, and because I loved them, my mother bought one. I hated it. It tasted nothing like an avocado–to me. My mother didn’t seem to see a difference.
Now sometimes I get good ones and sometimes I get tasteless ones. I like the good ones. The tasteless ones need to be turned into guacamole, with lime juice and various other additives, and eaten on salty tortilla chips.
Also, I like cilantro. Sometimes the cilantro tastes like soap, sometimes not. Same for my husband. We don’t always agree on which ones taste like soap, though. It’s peculiar.
I saw a study once where kids were given samples of two milkshakes, with different fruit flavors. But one of the milkshakes was made with a higher fat content than the other. One group of kids got more fat in the grape shake, and the other in the cherry shake. (I’m making up the flavors, because I don’t remember those.)
The first time the kids got the shakes, they asked which they preferred, and both grops of kids were split pretty evenly between the two flavors. But they had the kids back a week later, and gave them second samples of the shakes, and again, asked which they preferred, and a majority of kids on both groups preferred the one that had had more fat.
I can taste avocado. It has a mild flavor, similar to grass. I believe the “fuss” is because it’s a rich source of fat, and people learn to like foods that provide nutrients. That is, I think it’s an acquired taste, not based on its flavor so much as on its rich nutritional content.
I mean, yeah, some avocados have more flavor than others, but they all have a pretty mild flavor. And while I don’t dislike avocado, I’m not really a fan. Mostly, I suspect, because I don’t eat it very often. I do enjoy it more than I used to.
So… is the attraction like putting good olive oil on good bread? Good fat on good food? I can understand that, I’ve been through Italy, and really good bread with olive oil and a bit of good (red wine or balsamic or whatever) vinegar I can understand. For me good olive oil has a fruity nutty taste that fits with carbs. Is avocado that kind of experience?
I’m one of the “omg avocaaaaado eat all the green things” people, especially if it’s one of the sublime rich-tasting “good” ones.
To your example, I like seasoned olive oil with good crusty bread, very much enjoy it.
A really good avocado needs absolutely nothing - perhaps a spoon, if one is inclined - and I’d drop-kick a puppy* for one. It’s not even in the same solar system as seasoned olive oil with nice crusty bread.
I eat four avocados a week. Love 'em. They’re a little low in fat for me, so I fill the voids left by the stone with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle them with everything but the bagel seasoning, and go at it with a spoon.
Maybe you’re eating them unripe? I have an avocado ladder going all the time, rotating them in and out of the refrigerator to ensure maximum flavor.
To me avocado adds creaminess to food. It’s bland on its own. But just add a bit of flavor like some spices, lemon juice, salt, and it’s delicious. Its appeal is how it adds a pleasant texture and is a good vehicle for flavors.
It’s like a mild, soft cheese but healthier (and prettier).
When I eat more vegetables for a day or three, my sense of smell gets stronger. I say this because your senses might be dulled. When you brush your teeth, do you brush your tongue, too?
Isn’t it like mixing, say, ground cardboard with lime and salt? Well, I suppose paper tastes like something, but still.