1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,080 Speaker 1: I guess what, Mango, what's that? Well, well, I know 2 00:00:02,200 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: you like to turn to me to keep up with 3 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:06,600 Speaker 1: like the coolest things going on in the world, or 4 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:09,639 Speaker 1: like trends happening, So I wanted to let you in 5 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: a little secret. Have you heard about the coolest way 6 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: to use an avocado right now? So I'm not really 7 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: off on super hip avocado trends. Like I saw a 8 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: restaurant ridiculed online for serving this deconstructed avocado toast which 9 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: was just half an avocado on one side of play 10 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 1: and then a piece of toast on the other. And 11 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: they didn't even do the work of smashing them together. 12 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 1: It was just like overpriced laziness. But I don't know 13 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 1: what what what trend are you talking about? It's actually 14 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:40,479 Speaker 1: not a dish. So the coolest thing you can do 15 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 1: right now with an avocado is to propose with one. 16 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:46,520 Speaker 1: And I'm not kidding about this. So the not Cosmo 17 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,360 Speaker 1: and all these other places have declared that the avocado 18 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 1: proposal it's here, Mango, it's here, So I'm excited, but 19 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 1: I don't know what it is. Tell me all right, 20 00:00:56,760 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 1: So basically, people are slicing an avocado in half, taking 21 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: out a pit and then sticking a little ring in 22 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 1: so it stands up right there. Actually, this is kind 23 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:06,560 Speaker 1: of grossing me out, but I'm trying to go with it. 24 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:09,039 Speaker 1: And so then the moment is right and you just 25 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 1: queue up cold play, You get down on one knee, 26 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 1: you take that avocado out of your back pocket. I 27 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 1: don't know why they're suggesting to keep it in your 28 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 1: back pocket, and then you crack it open like a 29 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:22,119 Speaker 1: ring box. And as the not puts it, quote, if 30 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: you love the farmer's market, this might be your dream proposal. 31 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:30,400 Speaker 1: I like that it's the official proposal of like farmers markets. Yeah, 32 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 1: I've always looked for one of these. Well, today's show 33 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: is all about the creamy green fruit from Why you 34 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: Should Thank a Mailman for your guacamole obsession to win 35 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 1: avocado theft became so trendy, So we're about to get 36 00:01:42,080 --> 00:02:06,600 Speaker 1: knee high on avocados. Let's dive in. Hey their podcast listeners, 37 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 1: welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm Will Pearson and as 38 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:11,640 Speaker 1: always I'm joined by my good friend Manges Ticketer and 39 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 1: on the other side of the soundproof glass, demonstrating the 40 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 1: absolute worst way to peel an avocado. I Honestly, I 41 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 1: can't even look at I know, I don't think you're 42 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:23,960 Speaker 1: supposed to use a vegetable peeler on a Tristan Well anyway, 43 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:25,799 Speaker 1: I'm gonna turn my head. But that's our friend and 44 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: producer Tristan McNeil. So I realized, you know mego, this 45 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 1: is a slightly grim way to start the show. But 46 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:35,919 Speaker 1: I was reading about this recent wave of avocado related injuries, 47 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 1: or what they call avocado hand and people are doing 48 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 1: serious damage to their hands by trying and of course failing, 49 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 1: to cut into their avocados. So that's pretty crazy. Like 50 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 1: I hadn't heard about people injuring themselves on avocados. But 51 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 1: it does feel like the same as when bagels became 52 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:54,959 Speaker 1: really popular in the nineties and suddenly like every local 53 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 1: news story was about people cutting themselves with bagels and 54 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 1: how to appropriately slice a baby eagle. It doesn't seem 55 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: that difficult, but I mean, I guess you don't get 56 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 1: avocados pre sliced. What's the solution. Well, it's actually become 57 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 1: a big enough problem that there's this British plastic surgeon 58 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:13,920 Speaker 1: and he's been pushing for warning labels to be added 59 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:17,800 Speaker 1: to avocados in the UK and apparently, yeah, seriously, apparently 60 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 1: he treats an average of four patients a week, four 61 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 1: patients a week for avocado based injuries. So, I mean, 62 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 1: it may seem weird to put a sticker and that 63 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 1: may actually sound silly, but you can't really blame him 64 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:33,400 Speaker 1: for wanting to do something about this epidemic of avocado fails. 65 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 1: That's so weird. Like I mean, I feel like you 66 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: can cut an avocado with a butter knife. You don't 67 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 1: need something super sharp to do it. Well. While prepping 68 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 1: for today's show, one of my biggest takeaways was that 69 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 1: most Americans have always been pretty clueless when it comes 70 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: to these leathery fruits. And this confusion actually goes all 71 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: the way back to the early twentieth century. That's when 72 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 1: avocado production was first taking root in the US. But 73 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 1: before we get into the state side history, I do 74 00:03:57,800 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: want to go back a little further in time because 75 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:03,640 Speaker 1: humans have actually been cultivating avocado trees for thousands of 76 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 1: years now. It goes as far back as five VC, 77 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 1: and this was mostly taking place in Central and South 78 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 1: America as well as Mexico, where the Aztecs were calling 79 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:17,039 Speaker 1: the fruit, a word that they used for testicle, and 80 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:20,039 Speaker 1: so that was based on what like the fruit shape. Yeah, 81 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 1: but but also because avocados typically grown pairs, which I 82 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: guess further the resemblance. But I get it, I get it. Yeah, 83 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 1: it's a great joke that kills at recess. But they 84 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 1: also used to be considered something of an aphrodisiac. But 85 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 1: that might have just been Europeans reading too much into 86 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:40,040 Speaker 1: the words origin. Like apparently King Louis the fourteen nicknamed 87 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:43,160 Speaker 1: avocados the good pair and French you know, pair the fruit, 88 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:45,359 Speaker 1: not pair p A I R. But he called it 89 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 1: that because he claimed avocado has got him in the 90 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,480 Speaker 1: mood and boosted his desire to mate. Well, Louis definitely 91 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 1: wasn't the last person to compare avocados to the shape 92 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 1: of a pair, because when avocados first started to catch 93 00:04:56,279 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 1: on in the US, people were actually calling them alligator pairs. 94 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:02,159 Speaker 1: And makes sense. I mean, obviously that tough outer skin 95 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 1: and has that bumpy texture and green coloring. I mean, 96 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 1: he does kind of look like an alligator, but it 97 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:10,720 Speaker 1: didn't really make for the most appetizing association, as you 98 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 1: can imagine. Yeah, I mean, I guess like biting into 99 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 1: an alligator seems like a tough cell. Yeah, and that's 100 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:19,240 Speaker 1: exactly what the California Avocado Growers Exchange found when they 101 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:22,719 Speaker 1: were trying to expand their business just beyond that home state. 102 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 1: And they claim that grim association with you know, with 103 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 1: reptiles was kind of ruining the whole operation. And even 104 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 1: worse it was, you know, of course, be smirching the 105 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:34,280 Speaker 1: good name of the Laurel tree family to which these 106 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:37,400 Speaker 1: avocados belong. And and this is serious because in n 107 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:40,599 Speaker 1: seven the trade group released this statement and here's what 108 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:43,919 Speaker 1: it says. That the avocado, an exalted member of the 109 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 1: Laurel family, should be called an alligator pair is beyond 110 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:50,360 Speaker 1: all understanding. Yeah. I love that they thought this would 111 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 1: be the thing to change people's minds, Like, I know 112 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 1: how we'll get people on board. Let's the people to 113 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 1: everyone's love for Laurel trees. Yeah, that's all it took. Well, 114 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: I mean, it was maybe kind of a strange play, 115 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 1: but they did get smarter about the rebranding. The growers 116 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: slowly wean the public off of the alligator pair as 117 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 1: a nickname, and they first replaced it with a much 118 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:13,440 Speaker 1: more appetizing butter pair, and then the somewhat redundant avocado 119 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 1: pair before they finally just got people to start calling 120 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 1: them avocados. But even once customers started calling them by 121 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 1: the right name, avocado is still faced a pretty uphill battle. 122 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 1: So why is that. Well, for one thing, if you 123 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:30,080 Speaker 1: think about it, there, they're unlike any other fruits that 124 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:32,880 Speaker 1: people were eating because they're not sweet, they're not really 125 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:35,920 Speaker 1: good for cooking. They ripened off the tree. I mean, 126 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 1: people didn't really know what to do with them. Yeah, 127 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: it's finny to think that Mexican culture and cuisine just 128 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:42,800 Speaker 1: took to it so quickly, but just one country north 129 00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:46,120 Speaker 1: were so perplexed by this fruit, like it took so 130 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:49,280 Speaker 1: much rebranding and marketing for us to catch on. I mean, 131 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:51,440 Speaker 1: the process took most of the twentieth century to get 132 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 1: us on board. Yeah, that's true, but it actually is 133 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:56,360 Speaker 1: kind of fun to look back and see how avocados 134 00:06:56,440 --> 00:06:59,440 Speaker 1: kind of gradually took on the characteristics that we most 135 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:02,400 Speaker 1: associate it with them today. For example, the need to 136 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:05,159 Speaker 1: grow avocados only in the mildest parts of the country, 137 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 1: you know, where you'd find the water and short supply. 138 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 1: That really meant avocados often cost more than other domestic fruits, 139 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:14,440 Speaker 1: and of course, marketers were aware of how expensive their 140 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: product was becoming, and that's really why they started pushing 141 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 1: for avocados to be paired with other upscale foods like 142 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:23,040 Speaker 1: grape fruit or lobster. And in fact, in the late 143 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 1: nineteen twenties, and I've not seen this before doing our 144 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 1: research for this week, but the California Avocados Society started 145 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 1: taking out ads in Vogue and The New Yorker and 146 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 1: they were proclaiming the avocados to be the quote aristocrat 147 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:39,280 Speaker 1: of salad fruits. I like, the avocados need to come 148 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 1: in top hats and monocles, just like, but you know, 149 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 1: to me, that's less advertising than just calling them alligator pairs. Yeah, 150 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 1: but the fruits fancy status kind of stuck, and by 151 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:53,960 Speaker 1: the nineteen seventies, avocados had developed this reputation as really 152 00:07:53,960 --> 00:07:57,080 Speaker 1: more of a luxury item. For example, in nineteen seventy four, 153 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 1: the price of a single avocado had soared as high 154 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:02,520 Speaker 1: as a full dollar. Now, now keep in mind that's 155 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:05,840 Speaker 1: the equivalent of almost five dollars in today's money. That 156 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 1: is crazy. So what about avocado's other big claim, like 157 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 1: the idea that they're one of the world's healthiest superfoods. 158 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 1: When did that really come about? Well, it really took 159 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:16,320 Speaker 1: off in the nineteen eighties, and as you might remember, 160 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 1: this is when nutrition experts really started to crack down 161 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 1: on America's fat consumption. So low fat food started appearing 162 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 1: on store shelves, and every celebrity you could think of 163 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:29,120 Speaker 1: was pushing some sort of patented diet or crazy new 164 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:32,320 Speaker 1: piece of exercise equipment, and you know, people begin looking 165 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:34,640 Speaker 1: for more and more ways to reduce their fat and 166 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:38,560 Speaker 1: take avocad has became a pretty popular target. But wait, 167 00:08:38,559 --> 00:08:40,880 Speaker 1: aren't avocad is full of like the good kind of 168 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:43,200 Speaker 1: fat that kind of actually helps us reduce cholesterol. Like, 169 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 1: why would experts tell people not to eat them? Well, 170 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 1: at the time, nutritionists were worried that the American public 171 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 1: wouldn't be able to wrap their heads around that distinction 172 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 1: between the types of fats, you know, between the good 173 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:58,200 Speaker 1: mono unsaturated fats and and the bad saturated fats. So 174 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:02,480 Speaker 1: instead they just told people to avoid fats altogether. And 175 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:04,920 Speaker 1: that's why, strangely enough, it actually fell to the avocado 176 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 1: growers to educate the public about the fruit's true nutritional value. 177 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:12,080 Speaker 1: So in the late eighties, the California Avocado Commission, they 178 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:15,839 Speaker 1: worked closely with researchers and funded all sorts of studies 179 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 1: on the health benefits of their product. And then the 180 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:22,079 Speaker 1: growers spread the good news with a TV ad campaign, 181 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:24,920 Speaker 1: and it started Angie Dickinson, and the ads were a 182 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:28,360 Speaker 1: huge hit, but they were also pretty scandalous for the time. So, 183 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:30,720 Speaker 1: so here's what the ad was. It showed Angie stretched 184 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 1: out in these gold stilettos and a white leotard and 185 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:36,839 Speaker 1: she was eating half an avocado with a spoon. And 186 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 1: after she lays out how tasty and nutritious the avocados are, 187 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:43,480 Speaker 1: she turns to the camera and asked, would this body 188 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:45,960 Speaker 1: lie to you? I had, actually, I had forgotten where 189 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:47,560 Speaker 1: I got that line from. I know I used that 190 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:49,800 Speaker 1: line a lot, and I didn't remember that Angie had 191 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:53,160 Speaker 1: created that. I mean, I guess the nutrition experts were 192 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 1: wrong to doubt the American public like, we can absolutely 193 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:58,880 Speaker 1: understand the health benefits of avocados as long as they're 194 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 1: explained to us by a beauty movie star. So I 195 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:04,720 Speaker 1: do feel like Kanye as I'm about to say this 196 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:07,400 Speaker 1: because Andie Dickinson, you did a good job, and I'm 197 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:10,200 Speaker 1: gonna let you finish. But Mr Ripe Guy is the 198 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 1: best spokesperson in the avocado industry. I can't say I'm 199 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:17,240 Speaker 1: familiar with his work, So who is Mr Ripe Guy? 200 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:20,679 Speaker 1: I can't believe you're asking me that. No. This goes 201 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:23,839 Speaker 1: back to the avocado struggle. So after surviving the anti 202 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:26,760 Speaker 1: fat movement of the eighties, sales were still suffering to 203 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 1: the public's lack of knowledge about the fruit. So one 204 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 1: prime example is that people weren't even sure when to 205 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:35,199 Speaker 1: eat avocados. People kept trying to eat them when they 206 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:37,880 Speaker 1: were like bright green, because that's when they look the prettiest, 207 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:39,640 Speaker 1: instead of waiting until the fruit to turn like a 208 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:42,840 Speaker 1: murky brown color, and that's actually when it's most delicious 209 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:46,000 Speaker 1: or the rightest to eat. But to combat the problem, 210 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:49,200 Speaker 1: the Avocado Commission partnered with an ad agency and created 211 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:54,120 Speaker 1: their very own mascot, Mr Ripe Guy and uh. In 212 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:58,160 Speaker 1: true eighties fashion, this California character was basically just an 213 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:02,560 Speaker 1: anthropomorphic avocado with a pair of sunglasses on. Wait, you 214 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:04,839 Speaker 1: know what this reminds me of? And I collected all 215 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:07,400 Speaker 1: of these from I can't remember whether it was McDonald's 216 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:09,800 Speaker 1: or Hardise or what it was, but the remember the 217 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:14,320 Speaker 1: California Raising definitely, so it definitely feels like California Raisin 218 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:16,880 Speaker 1: rip off. But someone would show up in an avocado 219 00:11:16,920 --> 00:11:20,080 Speaker 1: suit at various events and uh, this was around the country. 220 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:23,080 Speaker 1: They'd share tips as Mr Ripe Guy on how to 221 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:26,760 Speaker 1: pick and prep avocados and just generally sing the fruits praises. 222 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:29,880 Speaker 1: But the best part of the campaign was when the 223 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:34,280 Speaker 1: Commission launched a nationwide search to find Miss Ripe and uh. 224 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:37,680 Speaker 1: Women were encouraged to mail in video cassettes with themselves 225 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:41,840 Speaker 1: explaining why they deserved this coveted honor and uh apparently 226 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:44,320 Speaker 1: the winner would receive a free trip to Hollywood and 227 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:47,559 Speaker 1: a walk on role on Baywatch Nights. I like that 228 00:11:47,679 --> 00:11:49,760 Speaker 1: it didn't even occur to them that maybe they should 229 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:53,360 Speaker 1: win a lifetime supply of avocados. I feel like maybe 230 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 1: they didn't think through this campaign fully. Yeah, I mean, 231 00:11:56,920 --> 00:11:58,720 Speaker 1: maybe they would have gotten more people to enter, but 232 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 1: in the end, at least one woman was interested in 233 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:04,480 Speaker 1: what was on offer. The lucky winner was Robin Nardone 234 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:08,119 Speaker 1: of Chicago, who I'm sure you remember and she told reporters, 235 00:12:08,440 --> 00:12:10,760 Speaker 1: gained to be Miss Ripe is like a dream come true. 236 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:14,320 Speaker 1: I will bear the title proudly. M that's really sweet. 237 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: And of course everybody still talks about that episode of 238 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:20,480 Speaker 1: Baywatch Nights that she was on, right, definitely, I'm curious. 239 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:23,600 Speaker 1: So did these kinds of stunts pay off for avocado growers? Well, 240 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 1: it's hard to say exactly how much of the industry's 241 00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:28,160 Speaker 1: growth is due to Mr and Mrs Ripe Guy, but 242 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:31,760 Speaker 1: there's no doubt that the avocado consumption has gone way 243 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:35,480 Speaker 1: way off since the nineties. For example, by nine, the 244 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:38,319 Speaker 1: average American was eating about one point five pounds of 245 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:41,560 Speaker 1: avocado per year, whereas in two thousand sixteen that number 246 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:43,719 Speaker 1: had actually grown to seven point one pounds per year 247 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:45,959 Speaker 1: according to the U. S d. A. Yeah, and and 248 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:49,760 Speaker 1: to put that in perspective, the hass Avocado Board reported 249 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 1: that four d eighty four million avocados were consumed in 250 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:55,600 Speaker 1: two thousand, which sounds like a lot, right, But you 251 00:12:55,640 --> 00:12:57,640 Speaker 1: fast forward to two thousand twelve and the total had 252 00:12:57,679 --> 00:13:01,040 Speaker 1: risen to nearly one point five billion, which is basically 253 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:04,760 Speaker 1: are increase over just a decade. I mean, that is 254 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:07,600 Speaker 1: pretty amazing. It's also pretty amazing that it's taken us 255 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 1: this long to finally mention the H word. So I 256 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 1: do want to shift gears and talk about what is 257 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:16,600 Speaker 1: undoubtedly the biggest name in the business, and that's the 258 00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:19,640 Speaker 1: hass avocado. I know we need to explore how the 259 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:22,360 Speaker 1: variety came to dominate the market, as well as what 260 00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:24,800 Speaker 1: that monopoly might be causing us to miss out on, 261 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:27,280 Speaker 1: which sounds good. But before we get into it, let's 262 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:44,160 Speaker 1: take a quick break. You're listening to Part Time Genius 263 00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:47,520 Speaker 1: and we're talking all things avocado, okay, mango. So we've 264 00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:50,080 Speaker 1: been charting the course of how misunderstood fruit like the 265 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:53,439 Speaker 1: avocado wound up as one of the world's trendiest superfoods. 266 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:56,160 Speaker 1: And so now we're getting to what's probably my favorite 267 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:58,360 Speaker 1: part of the story, which is the contribution of a 268 00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:02,520 Speaker 1: Californian maleman named Rudolph Has. And while this story isn't 269 00:14:02,559 --> 00:14:05,160 Speaker 1: widely known, I'm willing to bet that the name sounds 270 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 1: familiar to most of our listeners, and for very good reason, 271 00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:11,920 Speaker 1: because hass avocados are hands down the most popular avocado, 272 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 1: not only in the country, but in the entire world. 273 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:16,680 Speaker 1: In fact, there's a good chance that most people have 274 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 1: only ever eaten the hass avocado. And that's because percent 275 00:14:20,640 --> 00:14:23,280 Speaker 1: of the avocados sold in the US and about eighty 276 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:27,240 Speaker 1: percent worldwide are hass avocados. I'm honestly not sure I 277 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:29,560 Speaker 1: could even name a different kind of avocado. Well, here's 278 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 1: what's crazy, though, is that there's actually more than nine 279 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:35,960 Speaker 1: hundred varieties of avocados. You know, some of these things 280 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:39,600 Speaker 1: have very different shapes and textures and flavors than that 281 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:42,800 Speaker 1: single type that we're used to. But thankfully, the one 282 00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:45,560 Speaker 1: type we do have is a pretty good one. Hass 283 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:48,720 Speaker 1: avocados have a strong flavor, they're packed with healthy oil, 284 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:51,080 Speaker 1: so it's not like we're getting the short into the 285 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:53,560 Speaker 1: stick on this. And and there's a reason has is 286 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:56,560 Speaker 1: the most popular name in avocados, even if that popularity 287 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:59,200 Speaker 1: does result in in a real lack of diversity on 288 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:02,000 Speaker 1: the store shelves. So speaking of the name, this is 289 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:04,320 Speaker 1: sort of embarrassing. But I used to think that Hass 290 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:06,240 Speaker 1: was just the name of the family farm or like 291 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:09,040 Speaker 1: the company that grew them, you know, like Dole or Chiquita. 292 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:12,280 Speaker 1: But I didn't know it was actually a fruit variety. Yeah, 293 00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:15,000 Speaker 1: and I don't think most people do know that, but 294 00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:16,880 Speaker 1: so so to get back to that, let's get back 295 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:19,760 Speaker 1: to Rudolph Hass And he was a postman by trade 296 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 1: in the nineteen twenties and then got into horticulture after 297 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:26,240 Speaker 1: he saw this magazine ad that showed an avocado tree 298 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:28,240 Speaker 1: with dollar bills growing out of it. I mean, that 299 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:31,400 Speaker 1: sounds pretty convincing. So he was hoping to make some 300 00:15:31,480 --> 00:15:34,440 Speaker 1: money on the side and started buying up seeds and 301 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:37,240 Speaker 1: raising these resulting trees at his family home. And this 302 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:40,240 Speaker 1: was just outside of l A, So he was grassed 303 00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:43,520 Speaker 1: from the larger plants to multiply that crop. But there 304 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:47,000 Speaker 1: was one seedling in particular. He described it a stubborn 305 00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:50,920 Speaker 1: baby tree grown from a Guatemalan seed of unknown parentage, 306 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:53,440 Speaker 1: or that's how one local newspaper put it. That it 307 00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:56,480 Speaker 1: wouldn't accept a graph no matter how hard Hass tried. 308 00:15:57,080 --> 00:16:00,040 Speaker 1: He considered cutting it down, but instead he just to 309 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:03,040 Speaker 1: decide and let it grow unattended as as somewhat of 310 00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:05,800 Speaker 1: an experiment. And this turned out to be the best 311 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 1: decision of hass his life, because when the tree finally 312 00:16:09,040 --> 00:16:12,160 Speaker 1: bore fruit, it's avocado has tasted better than any other 313 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:15,440 Speaker 1: of the varieties available. Well, I mean, first of all, 314 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:17,640 Speaker 1: I just love that the world's most popular avocado as 315 00:16:17,680 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 1: a result of like dumb luck. But also I I'm 316 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:24,680 Speaker 1: really curious about these other varieties that predate the hass, 317 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:27,080 Speaker 1: like what were the go to avocados of the time 318 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:30,760 Speaker 1: and what made the hass one so much better. Well, 319 00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:33,680 Speaker 1: at the time, the prevailing avocado was called the fuerte, 320 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:37,680 Speaker 1: which means strong and Spanish. And admittedly, the fuerte looks 321 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:39,840 Speaker 1: more appetizing than the hass. You know, you don't have 322 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:43,000 Speaker 1: that bumpy, thick, black skin of the hass. The the 323 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:45,920 Speaker 1: fuerte avocado has more of a smooth and kind of 324 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:48,760 Speaker 1: a thin skin, and it actually turns a green color 325 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:51,760 Speaker 1: as it ripens. But you know, when you think about taste, 326 00:16:51,760 --> 00:16:55,720 Speaker 1: hass avocados are way richer and nuttier and creamier than 327 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 1: the fueertas, And so this gave them a big advantage 328 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:01,520 Speaker 1: in Rudolph Hass his mind. But of course taste wasn't 329 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:04,000 Speaker 1: the only thing they had going for them. Another big 330 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:06,920 Speaker 1: advantages that the hass avocado trees were easier to grow 331 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:10,280 Speaker 1: than the fuerte trees. They also have longer harvest seasons 332 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:13,760 Speaker 1: than other avocados, and they can produce larger quantities of 333 00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:16,880 Speaker 1: fruit after just a couple of years. But there's one 334 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:19,560 Speaker 1: thing that's maybe even more important than all of those things, 335 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:22,800 Speaker 1: and that's that these avocados are easy to handle and 336 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:25,639 Speaker 1: and even ship long distances. And and that's thanks to 337 00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:28,399 Speaker 1: that alligator thick skin that we were talking about before. 338 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:32,800 Speaker 1: So when Rudolph Hass realized that he stumbled upon something special, 339 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:35,959 Speaker 1: he patented his tree in nineteen thirty five and started 340 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:38,560 Speaker 1: working with a local grower to promote this new variety. 341 00:17:39,119 --> 00:17:40,960 Speaker 1: You know, it's funny when you're talking about the passability 342 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:44,439 Speaker 1: of these avocados. You think about other fruit like the 343 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:47,879 Speaker 1: red Delicious or the Cavendish bananas, and they are always 344 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:51,680 Speaker 1: sacrificing flavor for that durability, and it's amazing to think 345 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:55,040 Speaker 1: that the avocado doesn't do that. But uh, I don't 346 00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:57,400 Speaker 1: think I realized you could actually patent a tree. Well 347 00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:00,959 Speaker 1: I didn't either, and apparently neither did anybody else, because 348 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:03,359 Speaker 1: you know, sadly the patent was all but ignored by 349 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:07,159 Speaker 1: its competitors. In fact, this is how Rudolph's granddaughter, Cindy 350 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:11,040 Speaker 1: Miller explained the ordeal in an article about her family story. 351 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:14,040 Speaker 1: She writes, since it was the first pen ever issued 352 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:17,400 Speaker 1: on a tree, it got no respect. Growers would buy 353 00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:20,240 Speaker 1: one from Mr Brokaw, who had the exclusive right to 354 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:23,720 Speaker 1: produce the nursery trees. They would then regraph their whole 355 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:27,160 Speaker 1: grove with the budwood from that one tree. For that reason, 356 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:30,359 Speaker 1: Rudolf has made only five thousand dollars and royalties on 357 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:33,760 Speaker 1: his first patent. That's pretty insane, like five grand for 358 00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:37,640 Speaker 1: coming up with the world's tastiest avocado. It's crazy. Yeah, 359 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:39,639 Speaker 1: it's a it's a weird story, but there is a 360 00:18:39,720 --> 00:18:42,520 Speaker 1: silver lining for that name. So the avocados that bear 361 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:45,720 Speaker 1: his name have become ubiquitous with the fruit, and today 362 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:48,240 Speaker 1: millions of his trees can now be found all over 363 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:50,960 Speaker 1: the globe. And maybe the craziest part about this whole 364 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:54,200 Speaker 1: thing is that all of those trees are genetically descended 365 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:57,360 Speaker 1: from that single mother tree that has planted on his property, 366 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:00,400 Speaker 1: and that was nearly a hundred years ago. In fact, 367 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:04,200 Speaker 1: it's estimated that about eight of all us avocados or 368 00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:07,200 Speaker 1: descendants of the hass avocado mother tree. I mean, that's 369 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:10,160 Speaker 1: just so weird to think about. And the original tree 370 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:12,879 Speaker 1: actually lasted quite a while too. It was on that 371 00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:15,640 Speaker 1: Hass property until it finally lost the battle with something 372 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 1: called root rot disease, and that was back in two 373 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 1: thousand two. But according to Alice Obscura, you can still 374 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:24,520 Speaker 1: make a pilgrimage to see the preserved woods from the 375 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:27,520 Speaker 1: tree at the broke on Nursery and Ventura, and there's 376 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:30,480 Speaker 1: even a plaque there to market its original location in Lahabra, 377 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:34,520 Speaker 1: which I think that takes care of my summer vacation 378 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 1: plans for that. But you know, uh, Hass having his 379 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:41,359 Speaker 1: patent undermine like that kind of reminds me of something 380 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:44,919 Speaker 1: weird I noticed while researching, and that's the sheer volume 381 00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:47,880 Speaker 1: of crime that the fruit attracts. Like I wouldn't think 382 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:51,000 Speaker 1: this before, but you know, you mentioned earlier that avocados 383 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:53,560 Speaker 1: were worth the equivalent of what like five dollars each 384 00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:56,920 Speaker 1: in the nineteen seventies, and at the time, that high 385 00:19:57,040 --> 00:19:59,919 Speaker 1: value sparked a wave of avocado that's throughout the ord 386 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:04,160 Speaker 1: words of southern California. And this was hardly an isolated incident. 387 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:07,320 Speaker 1: So just last year, three men were arrested in California 388 00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:10,240 Speaker 1: for selling over three hundred thousand dollars worth the stolen 389 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:14,320 Speaker 1: hass avocados. I mean, that's insane. And when avocado prices 390 00:20:14,359 --> 00:20:16,480 Speaker 1: spiked in New Zealand back in two thousand and sixteen, 391 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:20,200 Speaker 1: farmers were hit with over forty large scale thefts within 392 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:23,120 Speaker 1: a six month period. Wow. I mean, I had no 393 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:26,320 Speaker 1: idea that avocado crime was so prevalent, But if you 394 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:28,159 Speaker 1: think about it, I mean, it does make sense. I 395 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:30,840 Speaker 1: remember back in our episode on cheese, we talked about 396 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:33,600 Speaker 1: how cheese is the most shoplifted item in the world, 397 00:20:34,119 --> 00:20:36,879 Speaker 1: and that's because it's relatively a small item, it's always 398 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:39,160 Speaker 1: in demand, and and it does tend to cost more 399 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:41,240 Speaker 1: than other food. So it feels like we've got the 400 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:44,359 Speaker 1: same thing going here with the avocados exactly. And and 401 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:46,919 Speaker 1: we already mentioned how avocados have long been viewed as 402 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:49,600 Speaker 1: a luxury food due to their price, So in a way, 403 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:52,280 Speaker 1: all the crimes surrounding them is to be expected. But 404 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 1: one thing nobody expected was the way that avocado farmers 405 00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:58,600 Speaker 1: in Mexico have been fighting back against their own local 406 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:02,080 Speaker 1: form of avocado crimes. Because there's actually one town there 407 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:07,320 Speaker 1: that has its own paramilitary avocado protection force. Wait, so 408 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:11,159 Speaker 1: where is this It's in a town called Tonsitaro and 409 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:15,240 Speaker 1: it's in the Michoakhan region of Mexico. It's uh, it's 410 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:18,720 Speaker 1: basically avocado country. The townships over a million dollars worth 411 00:21:18,760 --> 00:21:22,200 Speaker 1: of fruit every single day. But back in two thousand six, 412 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:24,199 Speaker 1: drug cartels, who are feeling the pinch of a law 413 00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:28,760 Speaker 1: enforcement crackdown, started turning their attention to Tonsitaro's avocado producers. 414 00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:32,080 Speaker 1: So of course things get insane, right like the growers 415 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:36,280 Speaker 1: quickly become the target of threats, their kidnappings, even some murders. 416 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:39,040 Speaker 1: There was a talk of the cartel's season control of 417 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:42,720 Speaker 1: the orchards entirely, and that's when the avocado producers decided 418 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:45,320 Speaker 1: to band together and fight back. They create their own 419 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:48,440 Speaker 1: local protection force, which was half funded by the government, 420 00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 1: and today they wear a body armor. They carry these 421 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:54,680 Speaker 1: high powered weapons to ward off the cartels and also 422 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:57,240 Speaker 1: it gives the citizens a sense of safety. I mean, 423 00:21:57,320 --> 00:21:59,480 Speaker 1: this sounds scary to me and kind of extreme, but 424 00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:03,320 Speaker 1: actually it's worked so um. Avocado crimes are way down 425 00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:06,840 Speaker 1: in Tonsitora, which has allowed the town to once again 426 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:09,560 Speaker 1: focus on what it does best, which is avocados. And 427 00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:11,960 Speaker 1: in two thousand thirteen, We saw this when a group 428 00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:14,119 Speaker 1: of four and fifty students in the town set a 429 00:22:14,119 --> 00:22:17,359 Speaker 1: record for the world's largest serving of guacamole. It weighed 430 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:21,119 Speaker 1: an astounding six thousand pounds. Oh wow, I mean, I 431 00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:23,680 Speaker 1: guess it makes sense that they had those guards on hand, 432 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:26,560 Speaker 1: because if you think about that much guacamole is definitely 433 00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:30,000 Speaker 1: gonna attract at least a few pieces, I would imagine. Yeah, 434 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:32,600 Speaker 1: But now that we've tackled the ceedee world of avocado crimes, 435 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:34,919 Speaker 1: there's at least one part of avocado history that I 436 00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:51,800 Speaker 1: want to get to. But first, let's take another quick break. Okay, mango, 437 00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:54,480 Speaker 1: So I told you my favorite story. Now it's your turn. 438 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:58,399 Speaker 1: What's your favorite story from the avocado history. So at 439 00:22:58,440 --> 00:22:59,840 Speaker 1: the top of the show, we talked about the recent 440 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:03,440 Speaker 1: dick and accidents where people have stabbed themselves while prepping avocados, 441 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:06,480 Speaker 1: and while there's definitely some user error at play there, 442 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:09,560 Speaker 1: the real problem is that the avocado has this enormous pit. 443 00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:12,879 Speaker 1: And while most foods contain seeds small enough to be 444 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:16,600 Speaker 1: swallowed or excreted by humans and other animals, avocado pits 445 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:18,680 Speaker 1: can be as big as golf balls, which means that 446 00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:21,000 Speaker 1: swallowing them is off the table for most of us. 447 00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:24,800 Speaker 1: M I've always actually wondered about that because from an 448 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:28,400 Speaker 1: evolutionary perspective, it doesn't seem like the most effective way 449 00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:31,480 Speaker 1: for this plant to spread its seeds around. Well, it 450 00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:34,560 Speaker 1: isn't anymore, but it used to be incredibly effective. So 451 00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:36,880 Speaker 1: the part of avocado history that I love the most 452 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:39,280 Speaker 1: is the part that explains why the pit is so huge, 453 00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:41,399 Speaker 1: and for that we actually need to travel all the 454 00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:44,240 Speaker 1: way back to the dawn of the Cenozoic Era, which 455 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:46,880 Speaker 1: is the period after the extinction of dinosaurs when mammals 456 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:49,320 Speaker 1: first started to take the stage. But the mammals of 457 00:23:49,359 --> 00:23:52,119 Speaker 1: the Cenozoic Era weren't just any mammals. They were actually 458 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:56,159 Speaker 1: enormous species known as megafauna, and they roamed the Western 459 00:23:56,160 --> 00:23:59,560 Speaker 1: hemisphere in droves. All right, So you're talking about things like, 460 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:03,480 Speaker 1: you know, sabretooth tigers and mammoths and those rhinos that 461 00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:05,080 Speaker 1: were honestly, I think they were like the size of 462 00:24:05,119 --> 00:24:08,360 Speaker 1: house boats, right, Yeah, that's right. So another dominant megafauna 463 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:12,440 Speaker 1: species was the lusted on, which were these fifteen foot tall, 464 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:16,560 Speaker 1: two ton ground slots and they wandered the grassy plains 465 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:19,280 Speaker 1: of Americas, and just like the slots of today, lusted 466 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:22,760 Speaker 1: on mostly eight leaves and grass to survive, but occasionally 467 00:24:22,800 --> 00:24:25,320 Speaker 1: they would chow dow on more satisfying treats like the 468 00:24:25,359 --> 00:24:29,000 Speaker 1: tasty avocado. So the avocado, it's also a product of 469 00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:31,920 Speaker 1: the Cenozoic era, it is, and actually that's really when 470 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:34,879 Speaker 1: the avocado plant came to its prime. So these giant 471 00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:38,720 Speaker 1: slots would swallow whole avocados. And because these creatures were 472 00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:42,280 Speaker 1: so massive, their digestive systems were able to process the 473 00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:45,240 Speaker 1: big seeds without a problem. So they'd kind of feast 474 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:47,680 Speaker 1: and then travel around with the seeds in their stomachs, 475 00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:50,000 Speaker 1: and then they plopped them out in some far away 476 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,119 Speaker 1: place and new trees could thrive without competition. It was 477 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:56,720 Speaker 1: basically an evolutionary wind wind for everybody. And that's probably 478 00:24:56,720 --> 00:25:00,680 Speaker 1: why we still have these large pitted avocados today. Wait, 479 00:25:00,840 --> 00:25:03,879 Speaker 1: are there still mammals that can eat the avocado pits 480 00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:06,000 Speaker 1: like that? I mean, you know, mega fauna are one thing, 481 00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:08,640 Speaker 1: but I feel like most slaws would choke if they 482 00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:11,040 Speaker 1: try to eat a whole avocado at this point. Yeah, 483 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:13,160 Speaker 1: you're right. I mean, climate change kind of wiped out 484 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:15,399 Speaker 1: most of the mega fauna in the western hemisphere. This 485 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:18,720 Speaker 1: was about thirteen thousand years ago, so according to researchers, 486 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:21,600 Speaker 1: North America lost about seventy of it's mega fauna at 487 00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:25,360 Speaker 1: the time, and South America lost So the vast majority 488 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:28,040 Speaker 1: of these large creatures that had helped these avocado trees 489 00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:30,440 Speaker 1: flourished in the first place were no longer around to 490 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:32,919 Speaker 1: feed on them. So I don't get it. I mean, 491 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:36,320 Speaker 1: why would wild avocados still produce such large pits if 492 00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:39,280 Speaker 1: if it's not beneficial for them. No, it's a good question. 493 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:42,479 Speaker 1: And I was actually flipping through this book by Connie 494 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:45,639 Speaker 1: Barlow called The Ghosts of Evolution, and she says that 495 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:49,840 Speaker 1: avocados giant seeds are what we called an evolutionary anachronism, 496 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:52,720 Speaker 1: So none of today's slots could possibly digest to see 497 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:55,720 Speaker 1: that large, but the big pits persist anyway, And as 498 00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:59,639 Speaker 1: Barlow puts it, quote after thirteen thousand years, the avocado 499 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:02,240 Speaker 1: is clue is that the great mammals are gone, and 500 00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:05,200 Speaker 1: the truth is thanks to us, that's completely fine, right, 501 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:08,280 Speaker 1: Like the avocado doesn't need to change because it's got 502 00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:11,240 Speaker 1: new champions. We've learned to deal with the big seeds 503 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:13,440 Speaker 1: and spread them out in ways that don't involve our 504 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:15,800 Speaker 1: digestive tracks. Well, I guess that makes sense. And but 505 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:18,800 Speaker 1: but what about those thirteen thousand years between the death 506 00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:22,720 Speaker 1: of the mega fauna and human cultivation of these avocados. 507 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:25,280 Speaker 1: It feels like in all those intervening years, the big 508 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:28,639 Speaker 1: seeds they still somehow managed to get spread around even 509 00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:32,760 Speaker 1: without those giant mammals. Yeah. So one theories that squirrels 510 00:26:32,760 --> 00:26:35,399 Speaker 1: and other rodents could have all found avocados rotting on 511 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:38,280 Speaker 1: eten on the surface and then buried the pits for safekeeping, 512 00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:40,560 Speaker 1: and then they'd return later and find that there were 513 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:43,159 Speaker 1: these massive trees that's sprout in the place. But I 514 00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:45,840 Speaker 1: also read an article in Smithsonian and it suggested that 515 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:48,040 Speaker 1: jaguars might have been able to swallow and digest the 516 00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:51,600 Speaker 1: seeds too. So, as they put it, quote, the identities 517 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:55,240 Speaker 1: of the avocados dispersers shifted every few million years. But 518 00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:58,520 Speaker 1: from an avocados perspective, a big mouth is a big mouth, 519 00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:02,000 Speaker 1: and a friendly gut is a friendly gut. M I 520 00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:04,000 Speaker 1: feel like those are words to live by mango, or 521 00:27:04,040 --> 00:27:06,960 Speaker 1: at least for an avocado. Really, though, it's wild to 522 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:09,359 Speaker 1: think that we have these giants slows to thank for 523 00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 1: all of our avocado toasts and orders of chips and guacamole. 524 00:27:13,040 --> 00:27:15,679 Speaker 1: And you know, while they aren't swallowing avocados hole like 525 00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:19,040 Speaker 1: our mega fauna buddies once did, humans have planted them 526 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:21,800 Speaker 1: all over the world. So all in all, I feel 527 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:25,240 Speaker 1: like we've been pretty good stewards for the avocado. Well unlikely, 528 00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:27,399 Speaker 1: it is, right, because not only is the avocado pit 529 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:30,240 Speaker 1: way too large for humans to swallow or digest, it 530 00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:33,240 Speaker 1: can also be toxic to us. So animals like rhinos, 531 00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:36,480 Speaker 1: which are descended from those house boat sized ancestors you mentioned, 532 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:39,399 Speaker 1: they can actually stomach the toxic pits just fine, but 533 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:43,240 Speaker 1: humans and most other mammals lack enzyme systems and liver 534 00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:45,439 Speaker 1: is strong enough to ward off that kind of toxicity. 535 00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:48,800 Speaker 1: And in fact, there's this old South American recipe for 536 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:51,639 Speaker 1: rat poison that I just found that UH instructs the 537 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:54,720 Speaker 1: users to mix some avocado pits with traditional rodent bait 538 00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:56,800 Speaker 1: like cheese or lard, and that will take care of 539 00:27:56,800 --> 00:27:59,880 Speaker 1: the problem. Mhm. I do like that a little tox 540 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:02,680 Speaker 1: pit isn't going to stop us from eating nearly two 541 00:28:02,840 --> 00:28:06,879 Speaker 1: billion pounds of avocados each year, speaking which how's I 542 00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:08,959 Speaker 1: don't want to look, but how's Tristan doing over there? 543 00:28:08,960 --> 00:28:11,119 Speaker 1: We're gonna need to take another trip to the er. No, 544 00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:14,960 Speaker 1: but those avocados really aren't peeled, So why don't we 545 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:16,440 Speaker 1: do a quick fact off and then we can help 546 00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:25,600 Speaker 1: the poor guy out. So most people have heard that 547 00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:27,480 Speaker 1: a good way to ripe an avocados fast is to 548 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:30,080 Speaker 1: put them in a paper bag with like bananas or 549 00:28:30,280 --> 00:28:33,480 Speaker 1: ripe apple. But if you're looking for more avocado gear 550 00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:37,480 Speaker 1: and accessories, you can always purchase an avocado sock. It's 551 00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:40,640 Speaker 1: a hundred percent wold bag that supposedly ripens the fruit 552 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:43,520 Speaker 1: within twenty four hours, and according to the website, it 553 00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:47,120 Speaker 1: ripens it more gently than a paper bag. Also, it 554 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:49,880 Speaker 1: works as a convenient carrying sock for when you want 555 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:52,480 Speaker 1: to sling an avocado over your shoulder and just transport 556 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:54,720 Speaker 1: the fruit and style. Well, let me know how it 557 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:56,640 Speaker 1: goes if you order one of those. I think I'll 558 00:28:56,720 --> 00:28:59,160 Speaker 1: wait on your experience first. All right, So here's a 559 00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:01,440 Speaker 1: trend I definitely won't be indulging in, and that's the 560 00:29:01,480 --> 00:29:04,800 Speaker 1: avo latte. And this is an Australian specialty where you 561 00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:07,440 Speaker 1: serve a latte and the hollowed out husk of half 562 00:29:07,480 --> 00:29:10,480 Speaker 1: an avocado. And while it started out as an Instagram 563 00:29:10,520 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 1: joke at the Truman Cafe in Melbourne when an employee 564 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:17,280 Speaker 1: makes coffee and milk and an avocado shell, apparently customers 565 00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:19,920 Speaker 1: have started pouring in for the drink and other cafes 566 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:23,000 Speaker 1: have started serving it in response. Well, if you love 567 00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:25,280 Speaker 1: avocados but I hate the pitts, Marx and Spencer is 568 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:28,160 Speaker 1: apparently selling a cocktail avocado. So this is according to 569 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:31,160 Speaker 1: the Telegraph. But the fruit looks less like a traditional 570 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:33,440 Speaker 1: alligator pair, you know, the kind we all know and love, 571 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:36,440 Speaker 1: and more like a zucchini. But the big advantage, of course, 572 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:38,480 Speaker 1: is that they don't have a seed in them, and 573 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:41,280 Speaker 1: while the fruit is grown in Spain, they're apparently really 574 00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:43,600 Speaker 1: hard to find. Mark and Spencer only carries them in 575 00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:46,120 Speaker 1: December for some reason. But uh, maybe we'll be getting 576 00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:48,480 Speaker 1: him stateside soon. All right. So we were talking about 577 00:29:48,520 --> 00:29:52,000 Speaker 1: avocados being a member of the prestigious Laurel family previously, 578 00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:54,280 Speaker 1: and I was a little curious what that meant, so 579 00:29:54,320 --> 00:29:56,520 Speaker 1: I looked it up and in addition to the Laurel 580 00:29:56,600 --> 00:29:58,840 Speaker 1: reads that you might get for competing in the ancient 581 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:02,160 Speaker 1: Greek games. The avocado has some pretty well known relatives 582 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:06,280 Speaker 1: in the laurel family. The fruit is cousins with bay leaves, sassafrass, 583 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:08,560 Speaker 1: and cinnamon. Oh, it's a good family to be a 584 00:30:08,560 --> 00:30:12,080 Speaker 1: part of. So one of the strangest facts about avocados 585 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:14,959 Speaker 1: is that they never ripened on the trees, so basically 586 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:17,400 Speaker 1: farmers can plan when they want to pluck them and 587 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:20,040 Speaker 1: just store them up there fresh for six or seven months. 588 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:24,560 Speaker 1: All right, Well, here's an avocado variation that no one needs, 589 00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:28,480 Speaker 1: and it's avocado light. It's a diet avocado that apparently 590 00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:33,160 Speaker 1: contains thirty percent less fat than your average avocado. Apparently 591 00:30:33,160 --> 00:30:36,280 Speaker 1: it's a milder taste, but it's a juice here avocado. 592 00:30:36,360 --> 00:30:38,800 Speaker 1: I've got to say, I'm avocado with fewer calories that 593 00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:42,200 Speaker 1: taste more watery. Just it doesn't appeal to me. But 594 00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:46,960 Speaker 1: if they can make an avocado zero, maybe I'll consider it. Well. 595 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:50,400 Speaker 1: I think between a diet avocado and proposing with avocados, 596 00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:52,160 Speaker 1: you truly have your pulicy on the worst things to 597 00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:54,440 Speaker 1: do with an avocado. So I'm gonna have to give 598 00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:56,360 Speaker 1: the trophy to you well. Thank you very much, and 599 00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:58,640 Speaker 1: thank you guys for listening. I'm sure we've forgotten some 600 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:01,400 Speaker 1: great facts about avocad those. We've been looking forward to 601 00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:05,160 Speaker 1: doing this episode because of the national obsession with avocados 602 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:06,680 Speaker 1: these days, so we'd love to hear from you. You You 603 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:08,840 Speaker 1: could always email us part Time Genius at how Stuff 604 00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:12,200 Speaker 1: Works dot com. You can call fact hotline that's one 605 00:31:12,280 --> 00:31:14,840 Speaker 1: eight four four PT Genius, or hit us up on 606 00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:32,040 Speaker 1: Facebook or Twitter. Thanks so much for listening, Thanks again 607 00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:34,239 Speaker 1: for listening. Part Time Genius is a production of How 608 00:31:34,320 --> 00:31:37,160 Speaker 1: Stuff Works and wouldn't be possible without several brilliant people 609 00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:40,080 Speaker 1: who do the important things we couldn't even begin to understand. 610 00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:43,000 Speaker 1: Tristan McNeil does the editing thing. Noel Brown made the 611 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:45,800 Speaker 1: theme song and does the MIXI mixy sound thing. Jerry 612 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:48,680 Speaker 1: Rowland does the exact producer thing. Gay Bluesier is our 613 00:31:48,760 --> 00:31:52,080 Speaker 1: lead researcher, with support from the Research Army including Austin Thompson, 614 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 1: Nolan Brown and Lucas Adams and Eve Jeff Cook gets 615 00:31:54,760 --> 00:31:56,840 Speaker 1: the show to your ears. Good job, Eves. If you 616 00:31:56,880 --> 00:31:58,760 Speaker 1: like what you heard, we hope you'll subscribe. And if 617 00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:00,680 Speaker 1: you really really like what you've heard, maybe you could 618 00:32:00,760 --> 00:32:02,720 Speaker 1: leave a good review for us. Did we? Did we 619 00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:04,240 Speaker 1: forget Jason? Jason who