Bookwoman, I've had tasteless ones here in SoCal, too. If you only get Hass, then I'm not sure why they're not good. They're by far my favorite and the type of tree we have. Fuerte and Bacon are a couple other common varieties. In my experience they can be less flavorful than Hass. Sometimes a bit watery, too.

Perhaps it's the travel that does it, then. By the time they get here, the flavor is gone.

Yes...could be they're not being shipped without the proper temps, containers and guidelines. A shame with good Hass avocados.

I wonder exactly where this "shortage" is. Avocados are as plentiful here as ever, if a tad pricey. And isn't it a bit early for Mexican avocados? Their peak season runs from November through April. Peru, Chile and Columbia are also big suppliers......but not as big as Mexico.

According to a couple of articles I just skimmed it's because:

1) This year's California avocado crop was the smallest in decades

2) Expanding global demand

3) And right now, as you say, the crop hasn't started coming in from Mexico yet.

Prices should come down once the Mexican crop comes in.

I just bought an avocado yesterday and the store had bins full of them. It could be we don't see the same shortages on the west coast that other parts of the country experience.

It's hard to imagine that I couldn't tell the difference between real guacamole and a faux gauc made from zucchini. There is so much water in zucchini it seems like it would be impossible to get that creaminess that is found in avocados. Having said that, I have had faux guac made from peas and it is really good and very similar to the real thing. I think I could be fooled with that, at least initially.

There are a number of articles that detail the problems with 'fake' food and detail switcheroos by restaurants and grocery stores of foods such as fish, where a cheaper fish is substituted for the expensive menu item, and grocery items like olive oil and coffee.

I would probably like it seasoned up. I don't appreciate someone trying to fool me so I think it should be described or named other than guacamole. I think I would know the difference.

I'm in Central Florida and we have plenty of the big ones grown here but to tell you the truth I haven't noticed if the smaller Mexican (Haas) ones have been scarce. I think the Haas taste better but of course we have to buy more because we can eat a lot of avocado around here. DH especially loves them cubed with tomato cut the same, some diced onion, jalapeno, lime juice, salt, and cilantro.

Sounds delish, rita, like de-constructed guacamole in chunks instead of mashed and mixed. An added ingredient I like in guac is Worchestershire sauce. Mix a few drops in with the lime juice before applying it, It really improves the flavor without being a noticeable flavor on its own.

I don’t think I will be fooled at all. And there really doesn’t seem to be a shortage imo.

Nope. I wouldn't be fooled. But I am experienced in people trying to food fool me.

More than once people have served me deer trying to pass it off as beef. Nope. Its deer. And its gross. And shame on you. Also, rabbit is NOT chicken, and it doesn't taste like chicken,so stop trying to fool me into thinking that this rabbit you tried to feed me is chicken. (One of the reasons I prefer not to eat mosy other people's home cooking)

One of my sisters always tries to make any recipe very healthy,which is great I guess! BUT, i can tell you used Turkey bacon instead of real. I can tell when you use reduced fat cheese. And cauliflower rice,while good for some things, ain't rice.

I would be willing to try the zucchini dip stuff. But in think I would be angry if they tried to pass it off as avocado (and charge for it that way)

Decide for yourself. Here's the article and recipe:

"....as Paola Briseño González of LA Taco discovered,
the "fake" actually is almost identical – not just in appearance, but
in flavor and texture. You can try
the recipe here, at the end of the story":

The Secret Taquerias Don’t Want You to Know About

Amylou - sorry I disagree, anything that is white meat tastes like chicken, especially rabbit. (LOL!) And to me venison tastes like very strong lamb, I'll eat lamb but I've never had a piece of venison that I actually liked. But I'm sure that if the zombie apocalypse happened and we were all starving, especially for meat, I'd wolf it down just like any other good redneck should. But getting back to avocados - in case any of you haven't seen this, there is a way to cube up avocado without peeling it, being avocado is so soft and slippery, it can be dangerous. First you start at the top and cut through the peel down to the seed. Now, follow the seed down to the bottom, around the bottom and back up the other side until you meet the start of your cut at the top. Now twist the two halves slightly until you can feel it give and pull the two halves apart. Now take your knife and tap the blade into the seed and then twist - it will pull out of the fruit. Then discard the seed and cut parallel lines north to south and east to west, but don't cut through the skin. Then take a spoon and scoop out the cubes away from the skin. I've found a video that shows how except in the video they squeeze out the cubes and I don't like that. How to cube an avocado

Rita, I have to double disagree. Turkey doesn't even taste like chicken. Alligator doesn't taste like chicken. And rabbit does not taste like chicken. It tastes like rabbit. I am told that squirrel tastes like chicken. I do not know what it tastes like myself, but I would bet that it doesn't taste like chicken. Deer tastes like deer. I have never really associated the taste of it with another type of meat.

I get very annoyed at those people who tell me, "you'll like it,it tastes JUST like beef!" Then, why wont you just let me eat my beef in peace. Same with the "its tastes like chicken" argument. Then. Let. Me. Eat.Chicken. And no, you do not have some sort of magic cooking method or seasoning technique that will make me fall in love with something I do not like. So LET IT GO FOOD FORCERS!!!!! Sorry, went off on a tangent there. Pet peeve of mine.

I used to eat avocados all the time. Somewhere along the line, I stopped wanting them. I still like them, I just never want them anymore. Odd.

Well maybe you have a very sensitive palate because I have had gator, rabbit, frog legs, turkey all that you mentioned except for squirrel and to me they taste like chicken. Gator and frog, slightly fishy tasting but still like chicken. But I wouldn't try to food force any of them on anyone just because I think they taste like chicken. To me the only thing that tastes like beef is bison.

yes. I had it at a party and it was so good--had no idea it was not real.

Rita, I wouldn't mistake you for a food forcer. And I think I do have a sensitive palate because to me bison does not taste like beef either. Its close, but definitely different.

I think that's the standard way to open and cut an avocado.

I use a simple table knife to score or slice the avocado once it's cut in half and the seed is out. There's no need for a sharp knife. The dull end of a table knife won't want to poke through the skin and so it's less dangerous to do. You can even use a table knife to cut them in half, for me it's safer and easier to handle.

Rabbit? Deer? No thanks. I've tried both and am happy not eating either.

Venison tastes like strong lamb? Why would you ever want to eat strong lamb? That happens most frequently when the animal is too old or the meat is overcooked. Best to avoid both.

Other than cutting them in half to open them, I dont cut avocados. Not to get them out of the skin anyway. I scoop it out in chunks with a teaspoon. If I am making guacamole, I add all the other ingredients(cilantro,onion,jalapenos, and lime, all chopped up in my mini chop) and then chop them all together in the bowl, to make a chunky dip.

"I think that's the standard way to open and cut an avocado."

It's the way I've done it for a very long time. Once the pit's out, I scoop out the flesh with a large soup spoon. It usually comes out as one whole half. From there I slice, chop, cube, etc., depending on what I'm doing with it.

Well, I'm excited to try the fake guac! When the avacados get so yukky and expensive in the winter, I have plenty of zuk frozen!

I kind of doubt it will replace my avacado toast, but if it tastes good enough, I'll use it in a taco or 2!

rita, that's the way I deal with avocados too.

Funny about the lamb/venison. I've always thought that lamb has a kind of wild taste similar to venison. As far as alligator is concerned, I think it tastes more like pork than chicken. Rabbit is sorta like chicken, and I could be fooled for a bite or two, but then I'd know what I was eating.

I think when people say something tastes like chicken it's because they can't think of any other way to describe it. Same as how people are always saying various things taste "nutty".

If you want delicious and decidedly not wild and non-gamy tasting lamb, avoid leg of lamb and fatty shoulder chops. Instead, prepare loin chops or a rack of lamb and stop at medium rare. With plenty of garlic and cooked over charcoal is even better.

Venison tastes like venison. I wish someone wanted to trade me for beef. I used to get elk that way. I had beef and they had elk. I love venison but elk is wonderful. Squirrel does not taste anything like chicken. My Grannie had a rule, you kill it you eat it and my brother was a very good shot as a kid. I helped clean those squirrels. I liked it and Robin. The only wild meat I do not like is ground hog. Seriously yuck. It was part of a living history demonstration. Rabbit is very solid. It is not a favorite but I will eat it. I find it dry. Bison is good. We can occasionally get it around here. How about Emu? Very like beef in a way but Emu. Good. I agree that chicken tastes like chicken.

I love roast leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary.

And I love what we always called 'Florida' avocados, but I later found out are a Mexican(?) variety. They're very large and not as pasty/creamy as the Haas type. I think of them as juicier and a bit sweeter.

I'm late to this. Jakkom, thanks for posting the article, but that sludge does NOT look at all like guacamole, and I wouldn't want to eat it even if it has avocadoes in it. Guacamole is not made in a blender. If you have so much tomatillo, onion and cilantro in your guacamole that you can't taste the avocadoes, however, you might as well make zucchini sludge. The flavorings in guacamole should enhance and intensify the avocado flavor, not hide it.

I always thought that "tastes like chicken" meant not that it actually has a chicken flavor, but that it eats like chicken and has a flavor and texture that's more like chicken than like lemons or cod or buffalo.

I love good lamb, but not with mint or rosemary. :)

patriciae,"Venison tastes like venison." Thank you! We love it, but I would not describe it as tasting like beef. Bass and cod are both fish, but I wouldn't describe one as tasting like the other.

It is just one protein that I cook. I like to rotate the different proteins, since to me they all have a different flavor and texture. By the way, I would never "waste" venison on someone that didn't like it. It is the most expensive protein I cook, both in money spent and time processing.

And back to the squashamole, No, a restaurant better not try to trick me. I might like it as a dressing, but not as guacamole.

I would put that on a taco. At least it is real food and not a science experiment. Maybe a good chef can make a decent mock-up but I doubt it would fool everyone. As long as it has good flavor like any good green sauce, it is still a taco. Just don't call it guacamole or 'avocado'.

I've not made guacamole in years...I just put a halved avocado in it's shell on the serving platter and we scoop out what we want. Usually criss-cross the flesh. So good just pure. If I had a tree and abundance I would use them in many ways...blendered, dressings, sauces.

Laboratory food science has been making fake flavors since the 50's. Fast food, processed food is full of fillers and enhancers. Like the 'pumpkin spice' months in the Fall that do not have any pumpkin. (yuck)

If I have a good tomatillo harvest I just might add some roasted zucchini chunks to a salsa. Some zucchini varieties are better than others if you can catch them small and less watery/mealy.

What is a Mexican squash used to make the fake guac?

I am pretty sure, I would not be fooled. But also not against trying it. I will eat most anything. I do not like venison and totally agree with Amylou.. Yes I can eat it, but please do not try to "fool" me it will not work.

I've eaten a lot of lamb (we used to buy whole ones from a friend who raised them with great care and they were delicious). To my taste buds, all of it has a slightly wild taste which is why it tastes so good. When I say it reminds me of venison, that's a good thing - love venison. It doesn't matter what cut or where I buy it or if I order it in a high end restaurant; that's just the nature of lamb - to me. btw, Costco's lamb is excellent; it melts in one's mouth, it's so tender.

When we make it at home, we usually coat it with a light rub of salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary. After that soaks in for a bit, we grill it on the bbq - oh, so good! The rub helps the meat develop a lovely bark and adds a nice flavor that complements the meat. The last couple of times we made it, hubby smoked it in his Traeger before putting in the grill - oh my, oh my, was that ever good.

carolb, I think you may be thinking of the smooth skinned fuerte avocados. They don't have as much fat as the haas, which is why they aren't as creamy. I haven't seen that variety in a very long time.

We live in Florida. There was a time where DH's niece mentioned that they were sick of having to throw out all those avocados from a big tree they had in their yard because they didn't eat them and they moved in with the tree already there. My head exploded.

I guess I have a ‘sensitive palate’ too, right there along with Amy, because I definitely don’t think all those things taste like chicken. Chicken is the only thing that tastes like chicken to me, no matter how it is prepared. Not alligator, not turkey, and certainly not rabbit. I don’t know about squirrel either, and not planning to try any.

I’ve had elk and bison too and they are good, but I wouldn’t compare to beef either. Maybe ground into burgers is close, but there is still a difference in the lean quality and texture.

"...they were sick of having to throw out all those avocados from a big tree they had in their yard..."

We know people who've done the same thing...crazy! I was thinking how lemons never get that cheap here, at least the ones they sell individually. They run about 50 cents each. Some places, such as TJ's, sell bagged lemons for less but they're small. Our lemon tree is always loaded. I truly can't even give them all away, so some do end up getting tossed. Definitely NOT our avocados. I'm much more greedy with them! I took this pic one day from under a small branch....

IMPE, the 'tastes like chicken' thing is kind of a joke-y trope now - a tagline that a lot of people just say, trying to be funny. It really seems to have no bearing on what something actually tastes like.

One of the very few complaints I have about gardening where I live is that I cannot successfully grow avocados or citrus in the ground. I would feel like I had died and gone to heaven if I could harvest my own avocados, grapefruits and lemons/limes when I wanted :-)

I don't think I could be fooled. I eat avocados almost every day....and though I do like zucchini, not even close, whether as a main ingredient or even as a way to extend guacamole. The thought is very unappetizing!

Personally, I don't care for guacamole, but I LOVE avocados. I love the flavor of the avocado, it doesn't need to be overcome with all that other 'stuff'. Would I be fooled? I don't know, maybe. I don't see how you could tell what the base of the recipe was with all the other ingredients in there. And the consistency certainly isn't even close to any guacamole I've ever seen or tasted.

Rusty

"I love the flavor of the avocado, it doesn't need to be overcome with all that other 'stuff'."

Agree, although I do love guacamole. People often "goop it up" with the wrong ingredients, such as mayo. NO...it needs to be about the avocados.

THIS is my guacamole it really is perfect!

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/perfect_guacamole/

My guac is avocado, white onion, half a lime juice, salt, cracked pepper, cilantro, goes well with bourbon lemonade cocktail.

Add me to the sensitive palate group. Those of us who enjoy a lot of variety in the meats we eat do so because we enjoy the different flavors and even textures. The only thing that tastes like chicken is chicken and if one can't tell the difference I guess that is why they manage to market all the silly fake products like turkey bacon, poultry ham, sausage and hotdogs etc. I can taste it immediately and I have to find somewhere to spit it out. I am also not happy when they stretch a crab sandwich with whitefish or even shrimp meat.

So yes I would know the difference unlike those who believe tilapia is a tasty fish or pay for a boneless, previously frozen chicken breast in a restaurant and call it fine dining.

Me too, watchme. I understand a lot of people either don't care, don't have experience to know the difference between distinct flavors (and so generalize), or don't have sensitive taste buds to discern differences.

I do, and it does matter. Neither tilapia (which is farmed and often contaminated) or catfish (same) will ever find itself on a fork I'm holding, there's simply no flavor for either and both offer unnecessary risks.

My guac is semi-chunky, contains the avocado, a little tomato, a bit of jalapeno or chipotle, some onion, salt and pepper, and lime juice. I'd certainly notice any zucchini in there, and not in a favorable way.

Squirrel does not remotely taste like chicken. It is an awesome dish. A friend gave me a couple he shot - I turned one into stew, and better yet, I turned the smaller one into a braised in the oven creation that leaves me longing for more!

I agree that rabbit is a bit dry - but yes, I'll eat it. It does have more flavor (in a mild way) than chicken breast.

Frog legs don't taste like chicken, either.

I've had ostrich - very much beef-like, but different.

Just had an elk steak from the farmer's market - had to try something new. It was more beef-like than the ostrich, and more like beef than like venison - but all the venison I've ever eaten was wild-hunted, whereas this elk had been in a fenced pasture.

And yes, pastured beef (grass-finished to the end, even if they do get winter supplementation) tastes different (better, if cooked properly) than supermarket beef.

When I make crab Louis, I sometimes substitute cold cooked asparagus for avocado, if that is what I have. It does not taste the same, but is a better substitute than zucchini would be. I don't think I would make guacamole with a substitute for avocado.

I had venison sausage (doe) at Annie's house last week, and it tasted like regular Italian sausage to me, probably because it had fennel in it and was spicy. I had not had doe before. Where she lives, deer are a big problem for farmers.

I never put garlic in guacamole, but I always use lime juice instead of lemon. That is how I remember it from Texas and Mexico. I do add onion, preferably green onions.

Lars, are you home now? I still haven't managed to catch my breath long enough to post about our visit, I've been canning, the garden just went crazy!

Yes, Elery's venison sausage tastes very much like any other Italian sausage, but I don't try to pass it off as anything else, venison is lean and the sausage is a little drier than the stuff I have gotten at the store.

I agree, though, that chicken tastes like chicken, and rabbit does not, nor does squirrel or alligator or turkey. Venison doesn't taste like beef and we had a moose loin at Christmas that tasted just like moose, but not like venison or beef. I don't care at all for lamb, and don't think it tastes like venison either. Frog legs taste fishy, but not like fish, and the whitefish that Lars and Kevin had in the Upper Peninsula doesn't taste at all like the salmon I get from Lake Michigan.

As for guacamole, I think I could tell the difference, and I had read that article before and thought I should try it. I have the zucchini and the tomatillos, so I'm going to give it a try.

Annie

Annie, yes, we just got back from Philadelphia, and now I have to take care of my pepper plants and check the rest of my plants. Unfortunately, we found a very large white sapote fruit that I had picked before we left, and it was in the art studio, covered with fruit flies. It would have been a good one if I had remembered to pack it! We do have more fruit on the tree, and so I will be getting more. I also have to start pollinating the cherimoya tree, as it is that season now.

My garden is not going crazy, but some of the pepper plants are doing quite well, although I neglected to label them (except for the one chocolate Habanero), and so I'm not sure which ones are doing the best. After they fruit, I will be able to tell. It looks like I will have to buy more chocolate Habanero chilies at the farmers' market, but that should not be a problem. I just have to make a point of going frequently enough to find them.

We are trying to adjust to Pacific time after our trip.

I'm sorry that we did not get to try your asparagus. I do think it can be substituted for avocado in some recipes, providing it is cooked to the right texture, and I also think that the flavor is closer to avocado than zucchini, but I'm not sure about the Mexican squash - maybe it does taste like avocado.

Oh darn, I forgot about the asparagus, I was going to roast some to go with the salmon. Shoot.

I was just excited to have you there, I forgot all the things we were supposed to try.... :-(

Annie