Avocado, which has long been qualified as a superfood, is gaining more and more popularity. In addition to being very rich in vitamins and vegetable fats valuable for health, it is also so pleasant in taste that it is used in all areas of cooking, including confectionery.
Avocados are consumed all over the world, with the largest consumers being Americans, followed by Mexicans and Chileans. According to many, this fruit is a trademark of Chile, but the real capital of avocados is the city of Uruapan, located in the heart of Mexico. There, the fruit is also known as the Green Gold of Mexico and Blood Fruit. It is clear that it is named the green gold because of its green color and the good profits that are made from it, but why do they call avocado, blood avocado we will find out now.
Until recently, the city of Uruapan, inhabited by about 300, 000 people, was considered one of the most peaceful and tranquil cities, associated only with growing and exporting avocados. As in almost all cities in Mexico, there were drug cartels involved in the export of heroin, cocaine, synthetic drugs, etc.
After the avocado began to gain more and more popularity in the world, its price began to rise quite a lot and the trade in this fruit turned out to be a good source of income for the drug cartels. Since the underworld's interest in avocados has been awakened, there has been a boom in Mexican criminal organizations that tax ordinary avocado-growing landowners.
The word "tax" we used could easily be replaced by "racketeering", because this tax is imposed on peaceful avocado producers not by the state, but by criminal organizations. In most cases, the amount of the tax is determined by the area of cultivated land and the harvested avocado crop. But you guessed it yourself, that if you are not able to pay the tax imposed on you, you will not be further fined or convicted. Your death is guaranteed.
According to official data, in 2018 alone in the city of Uruapan, located in the state of Michoacán, where about 80% of all avocados in Mexico are produced, nearly 300 murders were registered, including those of children. Such a figure for such a populated city could only be compared if military/combat actions were taking place there.
For us Europeans, the avocado can only remain a superior tasting and healthy fruit that, although with a rather high price, we will continue to consume in the form of Guacamole or delicious healthy avocado salads. But for the residents of the state of Michoacán who produce it, it has truly earned its reputation as a blood fruit.
If you love to eat avocados, have a look at how to keep avocados fresh, how to store avocados, and what foods to put avocados on.
