The avocado, a tree likely originating from south-central Mexico, is classified as a member of the flowering plant. Its fruit also called an avocado, is botanically a large berry containing a single large seed. The fruit of domestic varieties has smooth, buttery, golden flesh when ripe. Depending on the variety, avocados have green, brown, purplish, or black skin, and maybe pear-shaped, egg-shaped, or spherical. Commercially, the fruits are picked while immature and ripened after harvesting. The high nutrient and fat contents and texture of avocado flesh are useful for different cuisines, including salads and vegetarian diets.