Avocados are a staple in Chile. We call them paltas, and they are sold by variety. Haas and Edranol are large, export-quality fruit, but we also get the local (and cheaper) de la Cruz (a smooth black skin, often stringy flesh) and Fuerte (so-called because it’s the most resistant to frost). My favorite is the Florentina, an elongated black-skinned variety that is only available for a short season in late winter (August).

Chileans put avocado on everything, including hotdogs. A hotdog with palta, tomato, and mayo (yes, mayo on a hotdog—it takes some getting used to) is called an Italiano, since it replicates the colors of the Italian flag. A completo comes with palta, tomato, mayo, and ketchup. Complete, indeed.

Paltas are also a popular condiment for hamburgers, and I must say, it is a treat. It’s become a Flaherty family tradition—a hamburger just isn’t a hamburger without mashed avocado.

Since I always have avocados in the fridge, at varying degrees of ripeness, I recently put together an avocado relish that really works nicely with just about everything—grilled chicken or steak, fish, burritos. The key is to use green avocados that are firm to the touch but not rock hard. If the avocado…