This Cinco de Mayo, consider experimenting with something unusual instead of guacamole. Pricey, very limited water supplies, illegal deforestation, and “avocado hand” all detract from the attraction of its star ingredient, the widely consumed green fruit.
Thankfully, there’s a well-known guacamole substitute that even shares the same linguistic origins in Nahuatl, the Aztec language. Called guacachile, it’s a rich, spicy, and creamy Mexican sauce, spread, or dip that has jalapeños instead of avocados as its main ingredient.
[Go to recipe]
Although the exact origin of guacachile is unknown, the first creatives were most likely Mexican taqueros, or taco vendors, who came up with inventive solutions to the escalating price of avocados approximately ten years ago. The green, inexpensive, and abundant jalapeños are combined with onions and oil to create a dish that resembles guacamole, which is frequently used as a taco topper. The controversy over falso guacamole, also known as “fake guacamole” or guacachile, that surfaced in 2019 when it was discovered that taco sellers all over Mexico were serving it is evident.
