July 31st is National Avocado Day – if you already knew that, then congratulations are in order: you are officially a Millennial, or a serious foodie! But even if you weren’t aware of this fantastic day, we’d love to teach you a thing or two about the reason you probably don’t own a house yet: Avocados.

Quirky origin stories to celebrate National Avocado Day

 1. DYK avocado trees used to grow from giant sloth poop?

We have 15 foot, 2.5 tonne extinct sloths to thank for helping to spread avocados across the Americas. These giant ground sloths, Lestodons, roamed the grassy plains in present day South America munching on grass, foliage, and beloved avocados. According to this article, the giants ate avocados whole and pooped out the seeds; helping the fruit populate the lands. Think about that next time you’re enjoying some guac while watching cute smiling sloths in the latest David Attenborough documentary.

2. DYK you can recycle avocado pits to upcycle your clothing – pink?

There’s a mouthful of millennial buzz worthiness. Boiling and simmering avocado pits, allows you to use the water as a natural dye – coming out all shades of beautiful pinks. Think of the opportunities with your thrift store finds or macramé wall hangings.
A clothing designer in Brooklyn uses all kinds of organic refuse for dyes, but avocado pits are her favorite.  This isn’t the first use of the fruit’s hidden colors, the use of avocado pits have been traced back to document ink from the Spanish conquest of Central and South America, and alpaca and llama wool dyes unearthed from archaeological sites in the Andean highlands.

3. DYK the word “avocado” is akin to “ball sack”?

There have been plenty of pieces written, memes made and jokes told concerning the origin of the word avocado – “testicles!” they all say. But is this accurate? Does āhuacatl, the Aztec word for the internet’s favourite toast topper, really mean testicle? The answer is “not really”.
In Nahuatl, the language spoken by the Aztec people, āhuacatl actually means…avocado. But don’t look so forlorn! We don’t have to abandon the avocado/ testicle reference all together. According to a linguistic scholar, āhuacatl was also used as a euphemism or slang for testicles. And we think it’s not really a stretch given their shape, texture and the fact that they grow in pairs. Always make sure to handle your avocados with care…

Hippie Snacks wants to help you celebrate National Avocado Day and indulge a little in our collective obsession. The team has been working for years to create an avocado snack, experimenting with freeze-drying to vacuum-frying. The final result? Delicious baked Avocado Crisps with real plant-based ingredients and 5 grams of protein per serving.

Hippie Snacks Avocado Crisps are available online and in-stores across North America. 

And if you’re looking to make something fresh yourself, check out this recipe video for Spicy Chickpea Avocado Boats

Peace, love and Hippie Snacks.