Guacamole is an all time favorite, not only in Mexico. The creamy texture and the neutral taste of the avocado invites us to experiment with herbs and spices of all kinds, discovering how tastes can best be combined into exciting new creations. I know, that's how I did it, so guacamole for me was always a type of laboratory for the taste buds. Until I arrived in Mexico, that is.

Back to the Basics

Here I learned that less is often more, and certain tastes are just too much for a simple guacamole. Garlic for example, delicious as it may be, is usually better left out. Also, since my wife doesn't eat fresh tomatoes, that also remains unused when I make guacamole for us. However, certain key ingredients are so essential, that many people would not even call the dish guacamole if it lacks them. These are:

avocados (obviously! I used two large ones.)
fresh cilantro, chopped (I took a good handful)
onion, diced (1/4 of a nice big one)
some type of spicy peppers (in this case I used chiles serranos)
salt and pepper (in moderation)
lime juice (of three limes)

What a difference a bit of spirulina makes...

And then I got into spirulina, and once again everything changed. Being a raw-food by nature, as even a few seconds of exposure to heat will turn spirulina black, dead, tasting horrible, I had to come up with raw recipes to enjoy it. Not an easy task, but along with smoothies, pesto, and salad dressing, guacamole just offers itself as a great vehicle for spirulina. Since both the avocado and the fresh spirulina have very subtle tastes, they once again open up doors to the same laboratory... Or, I can keep it simple and familiar, so Mexicans will enjoy it too. A great plus is that both are quite green too, or so you'd think, until seeing the difference. The pic on the left shows the guacamole I made with the ingredients listed above. Then I added 15 grams (0.5 oz) of Spirulina, which made it greener than ever.

Color Challenge Material?

The before-after shots should clear up all doubts: spirulina is the greenest food of them all! It doesn't really affect the final taste of the guacamole too much, but it makes its consistency more creamy. And soooo greeeen, it is a delight to eat (or at least look at it). Is it green enough for the color challenge though? (Was it Tuesday's color, I'm not sure.)

If you are interested in reading more about spirulina, take a look at the post I wrote on its nutritional properties, and check out my first video on cultivating it. I've also linked my other recipes above.

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