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Throwback Guacamole

In 1970 we called guacamole the “sauce of the Americas” and put it on the cover. This vintage recipe assumes access to West-Coast ingredients like fresh herbs and citrus.

This recpe, and others like it, can be found in the article “The Secret History of Guacamole in the West (It Wasn’t Always Pretty).”

Making Guacamole Sauce of the Americas May 1970 Cover




 1 large, fully ripe avocado (10–12 oz.)
 1 tbsp lime or lemon juice
 1 to 2 tbsp finely minced onion or green onion
 1 tsp minced fresh cilantro
 1–2 tsp minced canned California green chiles (seeds and pith removed)
 ¼ tsp minced, canned, small hot chiles (such as jalapeño) or a few drops liquid hot pepper seasoning (optional)
 salt to taste
1

Peel and pit avocado and mash coarsely with a fork, blending in citrus juice.

2

Mix in onion to taste, cilantro, green chile, hot chile (or liquid pepper to taste), and salt to season.

3

Serve at room temperature or chilled; cover to refrigerate up to 3 days. (To freeze, do not add onion until mixture is thawed for serving.) Makes about 1 cup guacamole.