A lively and engrossing cultural history of the avocado and the people who transformed it into an American obsession
The avocado is the quintessential symbol of aspirational living, a ubiquitous agricultural favorite, and the driver of an $18 billion global industry. But how did this regional Latin American staple become a star of Super Bowl ads and a byword for wellness? Documenting more than a century of cross-cultural cooperation, cutting-edge science, and savvy marketing, Green Gold tells the remarkable story of the fruit's rise to prominence as both a culinary and cultural juggernaut.
Anchored by the story of two exceptional trees that stood out among hundreds of rivals, Green Gold is a spirited and often surprising behind-the-scenes look at how dedicated avocado enthusiasts in Mexico and California developed an ideal fruit to sell to the world. Navigating the Depression, two World Wars, Mexican revolutions, violent drug lords, drought, and disease, these pioneers were driven by the potential of the finicky fruit to captivate the palettes and hearts of consumers worldwide. Their efforts to place the avocado alongside staples such as citrus and the banana paid off handsomely and birthed an iconic industry.
Set against the rise of Southern California as an economic and cultural powerhouse and featuring recipes (including vintage versions of guacamole and avocado toast), Green Gold is an entertaining and far-ranging exploration of the avocado's journey to occupy a central place in the American diet and global imagination. SARAH ALLABACK, an historian specializing in architectural history and landscape preservation, has worked for the National Park Service, Monticello, and the Library of American Landscape History. Her books and articles explore the lives of designers who shaped the American landscape. Allaback is a graduate of Princeton University and MIT, where she earned her doctorate in architecture, art, and environmental studies. She grew up in Carpinteria, California and lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.
MONIQUE PARSONS is a journalist. For more than two decades, Parsons has been an award-winning independent audio producer for National Public Radio. She grew up playing in the branches of avocado trees in her father's orchards, and her family continues to grow organic avocados in the foothills near Carpinteria, California.
