“Holy” is often a term associated with, or sometimes, preceding the word for the traditional Mexican appetizer: guacamole.

That’s because homemade guacamole is consumed almost religiously by fans of this popular dip.

Although believed to have originated in Mexico, guacamole was originally christened “abuaca-mulli” by the Aztecs, who made an avocado-based paste using chopped tomatoes and New World onions, according to Andrew F. Smith in “The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink.”

According to Smith, America was the second largest producer of avocados in the world in 2002, after Mexico. Guacamole has become a popular dip, present in many American restaurants and homes, and is eaten with non-traditional ingredients.

During World War II, guacamole was eaten with potato chips, before tortilla chips were commercially produced, according to Smith. Today, it can be eaten with pita bread – a Middle Eastern-based round bread – which can be baked and cut into firm triangles, for ultimate dipping performance. Or it can be eaten with vegetables such as celery or carrot sticks to turn it into a healthy and vegetarian snack.

You can also serve it with other traditional Mexican foods such as dolloped atop soft tortilla tacos, quesadillas, nachos or a taco salad.

I prefer the way my mom and grandma served it: with corn tortilla chips. It’s simple, yes. But that’s the testament to a good guacamole recipe worth passing on – when it’s the main attraction on your plate.

Guacamole

2 avocados

¼ cup onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/3 cup tomato, seeded and diced

½ jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (optional)

½ lime

Salt and pepper, to taste

Halve each avocado, by cutting all the way around the seed and pull each half apart. Remove the seed and scoop out each half. Add the avocado to a medium sized bowl. If you have an old-fashioned molcajete – a traditional Mexican stone bowl, used to mash up and serve foods in – lying around, by all means show off. Otherwise, go ahead and use a potato masher to break up the avocado and give it a creamy texture.

Add the onions, cilantro, garlic, tomato and jalapeño to the mashed avocado. You can replace the jalapeño with your favorite Mexican hot sauce such as Cholula, Valentina or, my favorite, Tapatio. You can also add Sriracha sauce, a popular hot sauce used in Vietnamese and Thai cuisine.

Add the juice of half a lime and salt and pepper to taste. The lime juice not only adds a citrus tang to the dip, but the acid in it helps keep the avocado from browning, so you can make it an hour before serving. With a large spoon, stir all the ingredients together until well blended.

Serve the guacamole in a dipping bowl and garnish with any leftover tomato or cilantro for a more festive presentation.

Guacamole can be a great appetizer to share with company, so long as you don’t commit the ultimate party snack sin of double dipping.

Cristina Lule can be reached at [email protected]