My Newfound Love for Avocado Toast

Despite its popularity in 2020, I never felt the urge to try avocado toast. 

Many people I knew would advocate for this cool and healthy breakfast, but I never understood why. My sister, Anna, was one of those die-hard avocado fans. She would make avocado toast almost every morning and rave about how good it tasted. Living in Los Angeles, I had lots of opportunities to try avocado toast at places like Urth cafe and Pain Quotidien, but I never participated in the craze.

I’ve personally never liked avocado. I can enjoy foods with avocado in them like salads and guacamole, but the avocado taste by itself has always been unpleasant to me. In my guac, I would even add tons of tomato and lemon to balance out the flavor. In my mind at the time, avocado toast would taste too much like the actual thing. Therefore, I harbored my personal vendetta close to my heart, never opening up to trying this new food. 

However, I recently fell in love with avocado toast.

Avocado Toast. Photo via PetiteGourmets.

I was at a cafe with my sister the other week, getting ready to continue writing our college applications, when I suddenly got hungry. The cafe, Blue Bottle Coffee, doesn’t have much in terms of food, so I had to go to a cafe next door. In the end, the menu was also pretty scarce, but I had to make do. The only thing on the menu that seemed okay was the avocado toast. Despite the fact that I never tried it before, I ordered it because I was feeling adventurous… and hungry. 

The avocado toast came with pickled onions, and–of course–avocado on top of a piece of bread. I happen to not like pickled onions, so I put them to the side. I was intimidated, not knowing if I would like something with so much avocado on it. Nonetheless, I squeezed a little bit of lemon on top of it and took a bite. Immediately, I knew that I liked avocado toast. 

My sister took a photo of me and my first ever avocado toast, not knowing how much more I would have in the coming weeks. 

Me trying avocado toast for the first time at Backyard Bowls.

I never realized how many different types of avocado toast there were and, throughout my journey, I began to realize what kinds I truly liked. I have always been a huge fan of the sour taste of lemon, so I usually prefer being given some to sprinkle on top. There are times where I may order avocado toast and be disappointed, whether it’s due to the lack of lemon or abundance of radishes, but a smile always makes its way on my face at the sight of my newfound love written on a menu of a cafe. 

I’m usually not one for trying new foods. I still have many foods I refuse to try including anything with cheese in it or foods with too much spice, but I am glad every time I’m able to try something I unexpectedly like. 

If this journey has taught me anything, it’s that I love avocado toast and that I shouldn’t be afraid to experience something new.