Guacamole
Ripe avocados mashed coarse with lime juice, raw onion, cilantro, and a hit of jalapeño. The key is chunky texture and enough salt — underseasoned guacamole is the most common mistake. Best eaten within minutes of making it.
Ingredients
- 3 ripe avocados
- 1 smallonion
- 2 Roma tomatoes
- 2 clovesgarlic
- 1 jalapeño pepper
- 1 lime juice
- to tastesalt and pepper
- optionalfresh cilantro
Method
- Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh into a large bowl.
- Mash the avocados with a fork until you reach your desired consistency.
- Add the finely chopped onion, diced tomatoes, minced garlic, and jalapeño to the bowl.
- Squeeze the juice of one lime over the mixture.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add chopped fresh cilantro if desired and mix well.
FAQ
The fridge stops avocado ripening — the ethylene the fruit releases doesn't work at low temperatures. A hard avocado needs to sit at room temperature. To speed it up, place it next to a banana or apple: they release a lot of ethylene and accelerate the process. The avocado is ready when a gentle press with your thumb gives slightly but doesn't collapse.
Browning is oxidation of avocado flesh on contact with air — the same reaction as a cut apple. Lime or lemon juice slows the process but doesn't stop it completely. Best storage method: press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the guacamole with no air between them and refrigerate. The avocado pit in the bowl is a myth: it only protects the spot it touches, the rest still browns.
Mashed avocado is just fat. Guacamole is a dish with balanced flavors: lime acidity, jalapeño heat, cilantro freshness, onion bitterness, garlic and salt umami. That combination creates depth. Good guacamole should be slightly chunky — not a purée: mash with a fork, not a blender. Tomato pieces add juiciness and contrast.
In Mexico guacamole is made in a stone molcajete — avocado is mashed with salt and chili by hand, keeping a rough texture. No onion, no garlic in the original version from Oaxaca. Restaurant versions worldwide add everything — sour cream, mayonnaise, corn. The simpler the composition the better: avocado, lime, salt, cilantro, pepper.
Yes — genetically around 15% of people perceive cilantro as soapy due to a specific olfactory receptor variant. Substitutes: fresh parsley (similar fresh flavor without the soapy note), basil (different but interesting), or simply go without herbs. The flavor will be different but the guacamole remains complete — cilantro matters but is not mandatory.
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Comments (2)
Если авокадо твёрдое — не делайте гуакамоле. Подождите два дня. Недозрелый авокадо в гуакамоле — преступление против мексиканской кухни. И не надо туда сметану, майонез или чеснок в больших количествах. Лайм, соль, чили, кинза, немного лука. Всё. Не усложняйте.
Use a fork, not a blender, for guacamole. You want chunks of avocado with character, not a smooth paste. I mash just half the avocado roughly and fold the rest in as large cubes. And add the lime juice immediately — it prevents browning and brightens every other flavor.