The AvoShowdown was fun filled event celebrating avocados from Mexico held at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts this Tuesday. Local foodies, bloggers and media friends were invited by Avocados From Mexico Canada to take part in a cooking competition that made avocados from Mexico the star. I can only make an open-faced sandwich with avocados so I opted to leave the cooking to the professionals and just spectate.

The point of this competition was to show how delicious, available and versatile avocados from Mexico are. Did you know that 80% of avocados in consumed the Canadian market come from Mexico and they are the only ones available year round?

Look at all those delicious avocados. When I was a kid, I hated avocados, but then all of a sudden, like a switch flip inside me, I couldn't get enough of the fruit! Now avocados are a decision maker for me. If a menu item at a restaurant has avocados, there is a pretty good chance that that will be the one I will be ordering. Yes, that is how much I like them.

My favourite way of eating avocados are just plain out of the shell with a sprinkle of salt, sometimes I don't even bother with the salt. Avocados are amazing on their own. If blueberries are Nature's candy, then avocados are Nature's butter! But unlike butter, they are made up the good type of fat! You can eat avocados guilt free because they are chock-full of nutrients, and the good type of fat that is good for your heart.



At the beginning of the event, we noshed on appies and sipped BC wines from Okanagan Crush Pad and Mt. Boucherie Winery while competitors scrambled to make any last minute adjustments to their dishes to present to the judges.

Cassandra Anderton of GoodLifeVancouver and the Avocados From Mexico Canada Official Ambassador kicked off the event by explaining why we are there and introducing Chef Darren Clay, who demonstrated how to make an avocado & side strip shrimp spring roll.


After the demo, we were ushered into the kitchen in groups six for some hands-on fun!

I worked alongside James of HelloVancity while we made our own spring rolls!

This is what came out of the deep fryer. Kidding! This is what is it is suppose to look like.

This is how mine looks like. Not bad!

Meanwhile, the judges had ducked into the back to start the judging process.


There were 19 entries and they all looked amazing!
Dishes ranged from savoury to sweet to spicy and everything in between!




The judges sure had a difficult job to do!

While the judges tasted and deliberated, we also watched Justin Darnes from Drinks Undressed make us an amazing drink made from avocados from Mexico - the Alligator Fizz!



The drink was so delicious and refeshing!


Finally the judging was over and the rest of just were able to try some of the dishes the competitors had made.

 Judges announcing the winner.

The winners! From left to right: Alyssa (2nd place: Tropical No-Bake Cheesecake), Emily (1st place: Sweet & Spicy Mole, Jalapeno biscuit with avocado ice cream), Teresa and Vicki (3rd place: Chipotle Chicado Soup)!

Emily Caulfield of The Fat Pigs took home ultimate Avo-Championship prize: a Kitchen Aid blender! Congrats!