Big Avocados
I’m so accustomed to seeing only hass or calvado avocados in the stores that I never gave much thought to what other types of avocados might be out there. My friend Pauli put an end to that when she brought be a couple of avocados from her parents’ tree in Miami.
I was immediately surprised by the size of the avocados—about the size of two of my fists put together, they dwarf the standard supermarket varieties. Their skin is green and smooth, like the calvado avocados; but a bit thinner—which is perhaps why they don’t appear in your average store: the thinness of the skin leaves them more susceptible to bruising.
Sliced open they reveal a fairly large seed.
Their flesh is creamy and has an almost buttery texture to it, and their flavor is a bit milder than a hass avocado. It mashes easily and makes an excellent guacamole.
Still, the question remained: what kind of avocado is it?
A visit to the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources avocado varieties web page provided me with the language to describe the fruit’s characteristics: it is a thin-skinned, smooth-skinned, spheroid to high spheroid fruit that is green when ripe and contains a medium- to medium-large seed. A review of their 117 listed types suggested perhaps it was a Mayo, though the Mayo is a bit smaller than the fruits I received; or maybe a Bacon, though the Bacon demonstrates an obovate (more elongated) shape with a pointy seed; or a Julia, though the Julia’s skin appears in the photograph to be a bit darker.
That’s when Aurora walked into the room and asked why I was looking at the University of California site when the avocados came from Miami. A quick search for Florida-based varieties yielded a directory of avocado varieties available at the Pine Island Nursery in Miami. Many of the photographs on this page resemble the size and shape of Pauli’s avocado–but one in particular stands out. The Monroe avocado demonstrates an appropriate size, shape, skin texture, and color; and is listed as having a harvest season lasting from November to January, and I got the avocados in January.
Knowing (or at least thinking I know) the name of the cultivar won’t make it any easier for me (or you) to find more of this type of avocado in Pittsburgh, but it does open up my eyes to the wide range of avocado types out there. Browse the links above and take a peek for yourself. Then, whenever you’re in the grocery store looking at the same types of produce year-in and year-out, remind yourself that there are more flavors out there, and do your best to seek them out.
March 31st, 2008 at 1:49 pm
That’s a big-(h)a** avocado!!
I don’t think I like those big rounds as much (they are seasonally available here at the grocery store sometimes) as the ever present Hass.
Reminds me of an old fellow I met in Central America one time . . . he said give a man an avocado and some beans, and that is a meal fit for a King!!
I like the guacamole at Chipotle (according to the bottom of their chip bag, 48 avocados give their lives for every batch of their guac), but it doesn’t compare to my homemade guacamole!!!
Do you have any big extras to spare???
Thanks, Troy
March 31st, 2008 at 2:34 pm
No extras, sorry–the season for the Monroe (assuming that’s in fact what breed these are) goes November to January; we got two in January, and a late one in February–then I sat on the photos for 2 1/2 months before I got around to researching avocado types and developing a hypothesis as to their classification!
April 1st, 2008 at 5:45 am
Jesse,
Did you check out the link embedded in my name (above)?
Today, Tuesday, would be a good day to look at it!
Your Avocado post was the inspiration for it!!!
THANKS, Troy
P.S. It was great seeing you at the “Farm To Table” conference, and I liked your articles in “Table Magazine.”
October 26th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
I think I purchased 3 Monroe avocados today at my home town grocery store. I have been looking for the name of the “big ones” and came across your story. I was interested in the nutritional value as compared to the smaller avocados. I have heard they contain about 25% less fat. The sticker on mine reads “Tropi LoCal” (TM), grown in the USA. I tried to google the TM with no success. Your pictures and article look like and describe the type I bought. I found them a few years back in a large chain market but they did not always have them available. The growing season would explain the availability problem. Thanks for sharing!
Loretta,
Blanchard, OK
August 9th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
We live in a town NW of Tampa, FL, and this particular avocado (TropiLoCal) is always available in our grocery stores. In fact, I bought one 2 days ago and it is now on my counter, waiting for my salad. Today is the 9th of August.
August 17th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
READ YOUR INPUT ON THE MONROE AVOCADO. OUR LOCAL WALMART STOCKS THIS ONE AS DESCRIBED BY LORETTA. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE PURCHASED THIS TYPE. DOES IT RIPEN AS THE HASS, BY FEEL?
August 18th, 2009 at 8:29 am
YES.
November 19th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
The smaller does look to be monroe and the larger is most likely choquette. They are both excellent eating and growing avocados.
September 11th, 2010 at 10:05 pm
My grandmother who lived in So Calif. had the best, the largest avocados that were so buttery. They began to ripen in November. The weight of many of them from this very old, ugly tree (short) was 3 poumds, but she told me that occasionally she had some that would be as much as four pounds, even a five pound (wondered if that was an avocado ‘fish story’. What wasn’t fishy was the remarkable taste and texture that we have not been able to find in any store-bought avocado. Well, Grandma passed, none of our attempts to start shoots from those avocados ever succeeded, and the next owners took out the tree because they thought it was so ugly (they must have took it out before they tried the avocados it produced. Even after more than ten years, none of our family have found any avocados like these available in a store. We still hope awe will nd still talk about them. My sister just called to ask me if I knew the name of this kind of avocado and if I had ever found any. Do you thiink we will ever succeed in finding and having the delight of tasting any avocados like this again? If they are available, where are they available? Many of the avocado lovers in our family and friends who remember us sharing these avocados would like to know if we might ever have the opportunity to have an avocado like this. WE sure appreciate any help you can give us.
April 14th, 2012 at 5:39 pm
where can a find the big round avocado name the gurdo i want to buy a small tree or 3 seeds