The Secret History of Guacamole in the West (It Wasn’t Always Pretty)
We revisit the quintessential summer dip that has been getting the star treatment in Sunset for nearly a century.
Annabelle Breakey
In the 125 years that Sunset has been covering the West, one recipe has appeared in the magazine more than most: guacamole. It’s a dish that’s quintessentially Western, thanks to the region’s freewheeling approach to cuisine, its Mexican past and present, and the abundance of ripe avocados. There have been highlights (a recommendation to char your own chiles for fire-roasted flavor, if you’re the kind of person who adds chiles to yours), and low points (substituting Sauternes for lime juice), but it’s core to who we are, even making an appearance on the cover and inspiring a gardening guide to growing your own avocado trees. Here we reprint a recipe originally published in May 1970 that stands the test of time, along with a timeline of some of those high (and low) points.
Guacamole x Sunset—a Timeline
November 1936: A French Twist
Guacamole is recommended as an appetizer for a chili con carne party. The suggestion to mash “not too fine” is nuanced. The use of French dressing instead of citrus juice is not. (Avocados did not make the cover of this issue. Instead, editors went with another hot new thing destined to last 100 years: The still-standing San Francisco Bay Bridge.)
October 1944: Colorize It
Pomegranate seeds were suggested as a garnish. (On the cover, another trend that’s not a terrible idea but which didn’t catch on either: indoor adobe.)
March 1949: What’s in a Name?
An artichoke version, buried deep within the issue, substitutes artichokes for avocados and is dubbed “chokemole.”
Search All of Sunset’s Recipes
Read the Current Issue Here!
Get one year of Sunset—and all kinds of bonuses—for just $24.95. Subscribe now!
Keep Reading:
The Latest
This Oakland Kitchen’s Makeover Was Inspired by the Homeowner’s Late Mother
