First There Was the Avocado—Now We Also Have the … Ecovado

Avacadoes are a tasty fruit that are popular in salads, in dips (guacamole), on toast, on pizzas and in many other recipes. However, they require a warm climate with lots of water. Thus, they are unpopular with enviroes and expensive for people in cooler climates. 

Thus, it was only natural that a researcher in Great Britain would develop an ersatz avocado that would be easier on the environment and easier on the British pocket book. Just as Impossible Burger, Beyond Meat, and other vegetarian-serving entrepreneurs developed plant-based foods that looked and tasted like meat, a British inventor developed a product quite similar to an avocado—the ecovada. Arina Shokouhi combined a mixture of locally produced broad beans, hazel nuts, apples, and rapeseed (canola) oil* to make the ecovado, an artificial fruit that mimics the taste and feel of the pale green, creamy flesh of the avacodo. It is even packaged in a fake avocado skin fashioned from wax. 

This is where I disagree with the inventor. Being a totally artificial creation, the ecovada does not need an unusable and inedible “skin.” The simplest replacement would be some type of cracker or breading material. A more exotic 3D printing approach might produce an apple skin that would have the strong smooth protective layer while also including vitamin C and other nutrients. Thus, an ecovada could be totally edible. 

Maybe the ecovada is just the beginning of many food products that could be locally produced while providing more exotic tastes and better nutrition. What sounds good to you as a new food? If you think it is especially good, tell me about it at rogercarlson@savingtheworldbeforebreakfast.com 

 

*Note: In some countries, the term “rapeseed” refers to inedible industrial oil, while in others, it’s used interchangeably with canola—an important difference. Also, grapeseed—with a G—is another type of cooking oil.