Just like fashion, music, and books, food trends come and go. Yesterday it was frozen yogurt, today it’s a chipotle burrito, tomorrow it’s a juice cleanse. But what is the most up-and-coming food trend of the season? The food you wouldn’t even recognize as a fruit. The food that deservedly has been dubbed the nickname the “alligator pear.” The food that can just as easily be served with chips and salsa as it is with eggs and toast. The answer is the avocado.

Avocados are suddenly more popular than ever before. Whether for the nutrition or the taste, people are looking to avocados to satisfy their hunger. Despite being the fattiest fruit, avocados have many nutritional benefits to make them a healthy snack. In one whole avocado, which contains about 5 servings, there is approximately 250 calories, 23 grams of fat, and over 15 different vitamins and minerals, making it the healthiest fruit. The fats within the avocado are, contrary to popular belief, healthy fats. According to FitDay.com, “avocados contain the highest amount of beta-sitosterol amongst fruits. This is a plant-based fat that plays a vital role in the reduction of LDL cholesterol. It blocks absorption of LDL cholesterol from the intestines. This helps to improve the ratio of LDL and HDL cholesterol, which promotes cardiovascular health.”

Aside from the health and nutrition, people enjoy avocados because of their versatility, and above all, the taste.

“The other day I sat on my couch and ate an avocado with a spoon and a piece of bread,” VHS senior Teddya Konopka said. Whether served over eggs and toast, as guacamole with a side of chips, or simply eaten with a spoon, there is no denying the popularity of this fruit.  “I like it all ways, always” exclaims senior Eliza Sniatkowski at the mere mention of the avocado. “I’m a picky eater, and I have recently become a member of the avocado bandwagon,” says senior Chole Strippoli.

For better or for worse, food trends can sometimes consume our society. In the case of the avocado, it has been a bit of a burden to restaurant owners and those who loved the avocado before it became trendy. Due to the overwhelming popularity of the fruit as well as the current drought in California, the chief exporter of avocados nationwide, there has been a recent shortage of avocados. According to DailyNews.com, “The nationwide avocado shortage is wreaking havoc on city restaurant menus, sparking price hikes and shortages —Mother Nature’s wrath against California — in the form of a long-term drought — has cut avocado production 40%.”

Despite this shortage, rumors of Chipotle’s famous guacamole being suspended are untrue. An earlier report warned Chipotle customers that climate change could impact the supply of avocados- resulting in guacamole being dropped from its menus. However, this is nothing more than a rumor. “It’s nothing more than routine and required ‘risk factor’ disclosure. The sky isn’t falling,” Chris Arnold, a spokesman for Chipotle told FoxNews.com. “We saw similar issues with regard to avocados in 2011 – and incurred higher prices for avocados that we used because of it – but never stopped serving guac.”

Surely, this trend will be replaced soon by another.  But for now, it’s time to go out and try some avocado.