By Leigh O’Connor.
I hate tacos said no Juan ever! It’s a double whammy this Thursday, September 16 as we celebrate Mexico’s Independence and National Guacamole Day – grab a cerveza, tear open a bag of corn chips and kick back!
Whether you can go out to mark the occasion or are stuck in lockdown, there is no excuse to let this day pass by without eating guacamole. Here are five fun facts about our favourite bright green zesty spread and five restaurants to treat yourself:
•The Aztecs invented guacamole…when the Spaniards arrived in the New World, they discovered an Aztec sauce called ahuaca-molli; the name refers to something mashed and testicles, as the stone fruit reminded them of this part of the body.
•In the early 20th Century, our favourite fruit went by the unappealing name of ‘alligator pear’ due to its bumpy green skin – it has also been called a butter pear.
•The world’s largest bowl of guacamole weighed in at 4123 kg, that’s the weight of three midsize cars, about 130 golden retrievers, or roughly 6060 chipotle burritos; it all came together at a New York Jets NFL game in 2019.
• There are more than 450 varieties of avocado grown around the world, but the Hass – named after a US postal worker Rudolph Hass, who has owned the patent for the seedling since 1935 – is the most popular.
•Guacamole, buffalo wings and pizza are the most consumed foods during Superbowl Sunday.
Perfect guacamole and handmade totopos from La Popular Taqueria.
The key to perfect guacamole, according to La Popular Taqueria on St Vincent Street in Port Adelaide, is Hass avocados, tomato, onion, coriander and a dash of lime, served with handmade totopos (corn chips). Drop by this Mexican dining destination on Thursday and sample for yourself, washed down with a Margarita and followed by a Baja-style fish taco, with creamy chipotle mayo.
Order your takeaway Mexican banquet for two from Calle Rey.
Celebrate both Mexican and Guacamole Day with a special takeaway banquet for two from Calle Rey on King Street in Newtown. Keep things spicy and cosy at home with this 100% plant-based feast, along with other new and exciting takeaway packages; think adobo mushroom burritos, pulled jackfruit carnitas and taco fried calamari to name a few.
California meets Mexico at On The Border in Mindarie.
California meets Mexico at On The Border on Anchorage Drive, where fresh fare and good vibes come together in So-Cal fusion for Mindarie amigos. As Donald Trump peers over the kitchen wall, grab your sombrero and get ready to say arriba to tacos and tequila in fun surrounds, as you chow down on waffle loaded fries, topped with sour cream, guacamole and jalapenos.
Guac it out at Lime Mexican Circle on Cavill.
Located in the heart of the vibrant Surfers Paradise dining precinct, drop by Lime Mexican Circle on Cavill to spice up your life and dinner on Thursday. Just minutes from the iconic sands of Surfers Paradise Beach, this popular restaurant is the place to enjoy share plates like pork belly on Mexican rice, with pineapple and chilli relish; or braised lamb tacos, mint mayo, salsa and black bean quinoa.
Say hola to mouth-watering takeaway from La Cabra St Kilda.
Say hola to mouth-watering takeaway Mexican fare from La Cabra on Acland Street in St Kilda. With a name meaning ‘The Goat’ in Spanish, this restaurant goes by the motto of ‘greatest of all time’, dishing up their own twist on Mexican classics; think dishes like corn chips, guacamole, cactus salsa and feta, or tajin spiced fried calamari and lime mayo.
You guac my world…avo good day! For more Mexican restaurants near you, click here.
