Types of Avocados

There are nearly 500 varieties of avocado, but you may only see two or three in your grocery store. Here’s how to get to know them:

Hass – Recognized by its rough, dark skin, the Hass avocado was developed in California. (The word rhymes with “lass.”) According to a December 2008 article in the Los Angeles Times, “the coveted Hass is traced to a single tree growing in the La Habra backyard of Rudolph Hass in the 1920s. That tree is the genetic origin of every Hass avocado worldwide. The tree succumbed to root rot in 2002. The Avocado Commission reports that its wood is in storage in a Ventura nursery awaiting a decision on a memorial to what has become known as the Hass Mother Tree.” A variation is the Lamb Hass.

Zutano – Generally available September through mid-December, this variety has shiny greenish skin.

Gwen – Looks and tastes a lot like Hass but is larger in size.

Fuerte – This green-skinned avocado is said to be the first variety grown commercially in California.

Pinkerton – Has smaller pits and is large and especially easy to peel.

Reed – Round rather than pear-shaped.

Bacon – Green-skinned, easy to peel. Available late fall to early spring.

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