A SUPER BOWL OF AVOCADOS NFL'S BIG DAY IS ALSO GUACAMOLE SUNDAY.

Byline: Eric Leach Staff Writer

SIMI VALLEY - Every Super Bowl party has its musts: beer, soda, hot dogs, chips and salsa. Add avocados to the list.

Growers in Ventura County are gearing up for their biggest day of the year, when the annual National Football League championship game means millions of parties nationwide where guacamole is a given.

For Super Bowl XL on Feb. 5, they say, more avocados will be consumed than any other day of the year, including Cinco de Mayo.

``Guacamole is becoming a real staple of the party atmosphere, and people think of the Super Bowl as a major party,'' said David Schwabauer, a grower in southeastern Ventura County.

Eaten by people from Mexico to South America for thousands of years - the word ``avocado'' is derived from the Aztec word ``ahuacatl,'' or ``testicle tree'' - the fruit has become wildly popular outside the Latino community over the past 30 years.

In 2003, Super Bowl Sunday eclipsed Cinco de Mayo as the event when more avocados are consumed than on any other day.

Growers expect that trend to continue this year, and the California Avocado Commission is predicting that 49.5 million pounds of avocados will be consumed while the Pittsburgh Steelers face off against the Seattle Seahawks, compared with 47 million pounds during Cinco de Mayo 2006.

Ventura County growers are expected to produce 153.7 million pounds of avocados this year, second only to San Diego County's 231.8 million pounds. Overall, California grows 95 percent of the nation's avocados.

In the 1960s, avocados were largely a Latin American food sometimes eaten with bean-sprout sandwiches by California hippies. Today, 43.6 percent of all U.S. households buy avocados.

They are also increasingly recognized as healthy and gourmet, eaten in ways never before imagined, said Bill Tarleton, director of marketing and communications for Mission Produce in Oxnard, one of the world's leading producers and distributors of avocados.

Avocados have 60 percent more potassium than bananas and are sodium- and cholesterol-free, with only 5 grams of fat per serving, according to the California Avocado Commission. Besides for guacamole and salads, they are grilled, put in soups, on pizza and even in ice cream.

``The popularity is mushrooming,'' he said as Americans of all ethnic groups catch on to what Mexican-Americans have known for generations.

Hills near the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, which have been used for nothing more than grazing for centuries, are now covered by avocado trees to meet the growing demand.

``Our climate is very conducive to avocado production,'' Schwabauer said. ``The slopes get lots of nice sunshine, and the trees like that.''

Avocado production for the year is just beginning in Southern California, and the crop will reach its peak from May through the summer. Schwabauer said the largest fruits are being picked now for Super Bowl Sunday, but the smaller ones will be left to ripen for harvest later in the year.

The number of acres where avocados are harvested in Ventura County jumped from 17,543 in 2003 to 19,234 in 2004, and the value of avocados increased from $100.7 million to $124.6 million.

Schwabauer attributes the rise in popularity in part to people's experiences at restaurants that make fresh guacamole at the table. ``It allows people to see how to make it, and they taste the end result, which is so superior to having something come out of a container,'' he said.

As far as this year's crop, Tarleton said the industry buzz is that they're ``sitting on an enormous crop.''

``This year has been estimated as one of the biggest crops in history,'' he said. ``Only weather and unforeseen circumstances could prevent that.''

And Ventura County growers continue to plant avocado trees on hillsides because there aren't enough trees to meet the demand.

``The demand exceeds the supply,'' he said. ``It's as simple as the almighty dollar.''

Eric Leach, [phone]

eric.leach(at)dailynews.com

EASY GUACAMOLE

2 large ripe avocados, seeded, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch chunks

1/2-teaspoon seasoned salt

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice

2 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped

3 tablespoons canned or fresh diced green chiles or Tabasco sauce

Mash avocado pieces with a fork, leaving a bit chunky. Stir in seasoned salt and lemon juice until well-blended. Stir in tomatoes and chiles. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator up to an hour before serving. Serve with tortilla chips. Makes about 6 servings.

FLAVOR VARIATIONS: If desired, stir in any one or more of the following: 1 clove garlic, minced; 3 green onions, finely chopped; 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion; 1/2-teaspoon ground cumin or 1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro.

- Natalie Haughton

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) David Schwabauer, in his Moorpark orchard, says guacamole ``is a staple of the party atmosphere.''

(2) Avocados are processed in the packinghouse at the Mission Produce facility in Oxnard. More avocados are eaten on Super Bowl Sunday than any other day of the year.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

(3 -- color) no caption (avocado)

Box:

EASY GUACAMOLE (see text)