The World Loves Guac. 9 Culturally Different Ways to Enjoy Guacamole

It’s officially Avocado season, and if you’re like me, you absolutely are obsessed with them. 

This delectable fruit has captured our hearts and our stomachs for the last few decades, particularly rising to fame in the last 20 years. This superfood has been used to make our meals stand out. From healthy avocado toast to seasoning our burrito bowls and so much more. This magnificent jewel of Latin cuisine has been pleasing our ancestor’s tastebuds for centuries. 

The History of Guacamole

We all learned about the Aztecs in school as children, but did you know that they invented what we know today as guacamole? Known then as ahuaca-molli. Molli meaning something mashed or pureed, and ahuaca meaning avocado. 

The Aztec people introduced it to the Spaniards when they arrived in Mexico, which helped to spread the love for guacamole even then. Now it’s used by many for more than just celebrating Cinco de Mayo, a holiday commemorating Mexico’s unexpected victory over France on May 5th, 1862, in the Battle of Puebla. 

Mexican avocados were once prohibited from being imported into the United States. The ban was implemented to keep certain invasive pests from entering the country and potentially bringing devastation to many American farmer’s fields. This avocado ban was lifted back in 1997 by the USDA, and it didn’t take long before this superfood was gaining popularity in American kitchens. 

Guacamole Around The World

It’s no surprise, with its unique texture and flavor profile, that guacamole has gained popularity around the globe. Surely, all those Instagram posts of Avacado toast played a role, but this fruit’s most important role is and always will be in a bowl of guacamole. 

Mexican and American cultures aren’t the only cultures around the world that enjoy guacamole. There are multiple countries who came to love this dish, adding their own unique spin by incorporating spices and herbs unique to their region. This creates various flavor profiles, each complimenting the avocado perfectly; you’ll have a hard time choosing which is your favorite. 

I know I did! 

Mixing and Taste Testing

When it comes to trying new and interesting recipes, I don’t shy away from the kitchen. If fact, I love mixing up ingredients and cooking. When it comes to enjoying food, I live with the mindset to always try something at least once, so naturally, when I came across all these amazing, culturally unique guacamole recipes, I knew I had to try each and every one. So I got to work and gathered all the ingredients and spent a whole weekend dicing, grinding, and admittedly enjoying more guacamole than I should have. 

What does this mean for you? Well, if you’re obsessed with avocados and guac, like me, then you might find yourself making each one with no regrets. 

Or perhaps you already know you would love one over the other, maybe you can’t stand anything with a very spicy kick, so you avoid the Ethiopian and Japanese blends. Or maybe you just know your favorite guac recipe is the traditional Mexican blend we’ve all come to love.

Whichever you choose will be amazing.  

Below, I’ve included all of these uniquely different recipes so you to can try each one, if you dare, and decide for yourself, which guacamole blend is your favorite. 

Guacamole Blends

Making guacamole from scratch involves lots of different ingredients. Since I wanted to try all eight unique recipes for myself, I decided to make the task easier and went shopping for spices and blends to use in place of gathering all the spices individually. 

I personally love to shop at Spice Station Silver Lake because they always have what I need. They even have a guacamole spice blend for each recipe, making shopping for what I needed a breeze. You should check them out, just don’t say I told you so!

These eight guacamole spice blends will have you wanting to book trips to each of these countries just to try more food with their unique flavor combinations. 

• Mexican Guacamole – The most well-known of these is by far the original Mexican guacamole. Containing cilantro, onion, tomato, lime juice, salt, and sometimes jalapeno, this traditional recipe is what started it all!
• Portuguese Guacamole – This particular blend combines hot chilis, garlic, and lemon. Offering a spicier kick than its Mexican counterpart.
• Chinese Guacamole – Few have heard of this Asian variety of guacamole, but it’s just as spicy as the Portuguese blend with its use of the Szechuan peppercorn. The use of mushrooms adds a soothing effect that you won’t soon forget.
• Italian Guacamole – This complex blend combines oregano, thyme, basil, rosemary, marjoram, parsley, paprika, onion, and garlic with a little sprinkling of heat. Making this blend might even impress your Italian grandma, it surely impressed me. 
• Japanese Guacamole – The star of the show in this blend is the Togarashi, meaning chili pepper. Ginger, sesame seeds, salt, and green onions help make this blend one of my particular favorites. 
• Ethiopian Guacamole – This is probably the spiciest of all the guacamole blends here. Combining the powerful kick of the bird’s eye chili with black cardamom and a few other herbs and spices. 

Each one of these unique guacamole blends can be added to some mashed avocados and diced tomatoes to create a unique spin on guacamole like you’ve never had before. 

Traditional Guacamole Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Chilling Time: 1-hour

Yields: 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe avocados, pitted
• 2 large Roma tomatoes, diced
• Juice of ½ large lime
• 4 tsp Mexican Guacamole Spice Blend
• 2 tbsps. fresh cilantro, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Combine onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and black pepper in a small bowl and set aside (If you are using dried cilantro, add it to the seasoning mix).
2. Scoop out the flesh of the avocados and add to a mixing bowl. Mash with a fork.
3. Stir in fresh chopped cilantro (if using), seasoning mix, and lime juice.
4. Refrigerate in an airtight container for 30 minutes to 1 hour for the best flavor. Stir before serving.