What Is the Difference Between the Avocado Varieties?

The home of the avocado is considered to be tropical to subtropical Central America. In total, there are around 400 different avocado varieties today, with only a few of them being commercially grown in North, Central and South America, Africa, Asia and Europe. The various avocado varieties differ in shape, colour, the structure of their skin and their taste.

The best-known avocado varieties in this country are the Fuerte avocado and the Hass avocado. The Fuerte is characterized by its smooth, non-shiny skin. It is medium-sized and pear-shaped and is grown in Spain, South Africa, Kenya, and Israel, among others. Also typical of the Fuerte is the green color of the skin, which does not darken during the aging process. The Hass avocado, on the other hand, can be recognized by its green, pimpled skin, which darkens as it ripens until it has almost turned black. The Hass avocado, which is grown in Peru, Israel, Mexico, and Spain, for example, is also characterized by its nutty taste.

Other avocado varieties that are produced in comparatively small quantities and are therefore rather rare to find:

• Bacon: Oval with a smooth, green and delicate skin. It is an early variety that comes primarily from Spain.
• Edranol: A pear-shaped South African variety of avocado with a smooth, dark green skin.
• Ettinger: Originates from Israel and is characterized by its pear shape and smooth, rich green skin.
• Nabal: A lower fat variety mostly from Israel. Spherical with a smooth green shell.
• Reed: Grown primarily in Israel and partly in Spain with yellow, aromatic flesh. Smooth green skin, bears fruit quite late in the year.
• Ryan: A rather rare avocado variety with a green, rough skin.
• Wurtz: Slender, pear-shaped avocado from Israel with a smooth green skin.
• Mini or cocktail avocado: These small, cucumber-shaped avocados were created without fertilization and therefore do not contain a pit.

You can also get tips on the topic of ripeness tests for fruit and vegetables! As a recipe tip, we recommend our aromatic mango avocado salad.