A few weeks ago I opened the fridge at work to find an avocado a colleague had cut into. Instead of slicing down through the stem and around the pit to create two symmetrical halves, they’d lopped off the narrow top, creating a small opening out of which to scoop the flesh of the avocado. I, mindlessly committed to symmetry, was baffled; I could not understand it.
The next day I found out who the culprit was. There was a logic to it, they claimed – cutting it from the top meant less of the flesh was exposed, minimising oxidation and moisture loss and keeping the avocado fresher for longer.