Avocado is easy to love. But for me it wasn’t an instant love affair, my passion for this fruit has grown and matured over the years but it still continues to surprise me.

I remember that a decade back, Avocados were a rarity and unfortunately we didn’t even know how to use them. It warms my heart to see it being available in abundance now, whenever I venture out to a super market or even with a local subzi waala.

Avocados do not have a very strong singular taste. They are pretty bland with a light nutty taste and a creamy texture. This characteristic actually is a blessing in disguise as you can use the fruit to make almost anything, create a snack, salad, chunky guacamole, sandwich spread, sushi, a sweet dish or smoothies. It is creamy enough to balance out acidity or spiciness but mild enough not to overpower other ingredients.

Honestly, for the longest time in my career I never tried using an avocado. Partly because of its erratic supply and partly because I under estimated the culinary strength of the fruit. However, as I started researching on ingredients and cooking more meaningful and wholesome food, this one came out to be the strongest super food. Even though I have now created some signature avocado recipes, I still enjoy it right out of the peel with some lime juice and a sprinkle of sea salt.

Avocado is a delicate fruit and requires careful handling right from the time you pick, choose and until you cook them. And this meme that someone forwarded once, always make me laugh out loud, though it’s quite accurate as well.

Check under the stem. Pop the brown stem off; if it’s green, the avocado is perfect. If it’s brown or dark, the avocado will be too ripe.

The best way to check for an avocado’s ripeness is by touch. Carefully hold the avocado in your hand and just give it a little squeeze. If it’s firm and the skin doesn’t indent at all, then it’s not ready to eat. When you squeeze it and feels like you’re molding clay, then it’s ready! But never ever press it hard, it will destroy the delicate fruit.

Not every time you would be lucky to get an avocado which is perfectly ripe and ready to Wrap the avocado in newspaper and seal it tight. If you add an apple or a banana the avocados will ripen quicker. May be you can have your kids try this cool experiment. Wrap one avocado in newspaper and another in newspaper with a banana and watch what

But why avocados? Is it a fad or overhyped? Not one bit. Beyond being delicious and versatile, there is so much more to this wonder food. Here are some of the benefits that I

Good Fat - Avocados are full of healthy mono-unsaturated fat. This is the kind of fat that is GOOD for your heart. It’s a great alternative to unhealthy spreads on toasts.