Avocado

The avocado is a botanical anomaly: a fruit whose matrix is primarily composed of monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid). Its buttery flesh is the victim of lightning-fast enzymatic oxidation due to polyphenol oxidase as soon as it contacts air. Culinary chemistry dictates the use of ascorbic acid (lemon) to lower the pH and deactivate this enzyme. Heated above 60°C, it develops unpleasant bitter compounds; it therefore excels in cold preparations, emulsified into smooth mousselines or violently torched for a textural contrast.