Avocado prices are skyrocketing: demand is growing and production is limited. Thus, instead of guacamole, someone offers an alternative sauce
Avocado prices are soaring: compared to a year ago, they grew by 129%: demand continues to grow, but production is limited. All over the world, and also in Italy. This is why some restaurants have found a creative way to replace guacamole: in its place, they propose a sauce they call "mockamole". Basically, it's a sauce made with other vegetables rather than with avocado. It has a color and appearance very similar to guacamole, it is creamy and perfect for tortilla chips, but the taste is completely different from the classic Mexican recipe.
Guacamole without avocado … with green vegetables
Chacho, a Tex-Mex chain, had to alert its customers in July: "Avocados are temporarily unavailable. As a result, we cannot produce or sell guacamole ". In its place it has produced “a mockamole made from different green vegetables that we consider delicious. We could have bought some frozen avocado pulp, but it tastes so artificial that we refuse to use it. " The mockamole of Chaco is prepared with broccoli, peas and other green vegetables, as well as different spices.
With the calabacitas
Second Insider other restaurants have found a very valid alternative: they have replaced the avocados with the calabacitas (Mexican pumpkins). "Currently they are not only cheaper than avocados, but when they are transformed into a cream along with Mexican tomato, coriander, garlic and jalapeno, they take on a bright green hue that resembles real guacamole". The restaurant chain THERE. Taco he also conducted a comparative test and reported that among the salsa prepared with Mexican pumpkin, coriander, garlic, jalapeño pepper and tomatillos (with the addition of the oil used to fry the peppers) and the real guacamole it would be difficult to notice the difference.
The first recipe, with peas
But one of the first mockamole recipes was the one proposed by the site Creative Loafing and taken from the recipe book Meatless Monday, several years ago: the main ingredient is frozen peas (this solution, among other things, reduces calories by almost three quarters and fat by 34 grams). For a bowl of mockamole serve a cup of thawed frozen peas, a teaspoon of ground cumin, three tablespoons of chopped onion, a large chopped garlic clove, a tablespoon of lemon or lime juice, a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil , half a teaspoon of ground chili pepper (or a fresh, chopped jalapeno pepper), salt and ground black pepper and, if desired, also fresh chopped coriander.
You have to blend peas, cumin, onion and garlic in a food processor, until you get a smooth cream, then add the lemon juice and the olive oil and continue to blend. Taste and add chilli, salt and pepper, then blend for a few minutes before serving. Of course with tortilla chips.