Erin Elizabeth
Avocados are one of the most popular fruits in the world, and for a good reason. This pear-shaped fruit traditionally grows in the tropics. Their rough and tough outer skin hides beautiful flesh and a large seed.
Avocados have a delightfully creamy flavor and a beautiful green color. Also, who doesn’t love guacamole?
Many people don’t realize that there are hundreds of different kinds of avocados. Avocados come in various shapes, sizes, colors, and textures. As a result, there are many more varieties than you can get in grocery stores or meal delivery services.
Types of Avocados
I’ve come up with this list of 13 of the most popular avocado types. If you get a chance, I highly recommend you try these out. Each of them has a unique flavor and texture. Plus, they all have outstanding health benefits.
Bacon
Bacon avocados are known to have a lighter taste than other avocado varieties.
They also have light-brown skin that is easier to peel. The skin is similar to orange or citrus fruit and is smooth rather than bumpy.
Bacon avocados have a paler, yellow-green flesh that is less oily than Hass avocados. I think that Bacon avocados have a smoother and creamier texture.
I like to use Bacon avocados in spreads or on avocado toast because of how soft and light the flesh is.
The bacon avocado is available in mid to late winter and is a hybrid of two different types of Mexican avocado. It was initially cultivated in 1954 by James Bacon.
Fuerte
The Fuerte avocado is one of the most popular types of avocados.
It was the first type of avocado exported from Mexico, and the fruit has a dark-green skin and a pear-like shape. The flesh is creamy and has a nutty flavor.
The Fuerte avocado has the shape, size, skin, flesh, and seed of a stereotypical avocado.
The skin is green in color and has the body of a pear. This type of avocado can be anywhere from six ounces up to twelve.
The Fuerte avocado is less oily than other avocado varieties, and it has a creamy taste with hazelnut notes.
Many people, myself included, consider the Fuerte avocado the tastiest variety. I like using it as a garnish on some tequila cocktails.
Hass
About 80% of all avocados grown in the world are Hass avocados. They have a distinct, bumpy skin that is green in color.
Hass avocados are popular because they are delicious! The skin is green and bumpy, and the flesh is creamy and has a nutty flavor.
Hass avocados are versatile too. You can use them in salads, on sandwiches, in smoothies, or eat them plain.
I like to use them when I’m making guacamole because they are the most regularly available, and their nutty flavor goes well with the other ingredients.
Rudolph Hass was the first person to cultivate this variety. Hass cultivated this variety in the 1920s, and it quickly became popular. Today, Hass avocados are grown all over the world.
Pinkerton
Pinkerton avocados are large fruits with dark-green skin. They have a creamy texture and a nutty flavor.
Unlike other varieties of avocado, Pinkertons have a tiny seed compared to their overall size.
Pinkerton avocados are large fruits that can weigh up to two pounds. The skin is dark green, and the flesh is creamy.
Pinkerton avocados have a nutty flavor that makes them perfect for salads, sandwiches, and smoothies.
This type of avocado was first cultivated in 1948 by Walter Pinkerton. Today, Pinkerton avocados are grown all over the world.
This type of avocado is popular because the trees produce large amounts of avocados. Pinkertons are available from early fall through the summer.
Reed
Reed avocados are small fruits with dark-green skin. They have a creamy texture and a nutty flavor.
Reed avocados are named after Walter Reed, who was the first person to cultivate this variety of avocados in 1948.
Today, Reed avocados are grown all over the world. This type of avocado is popular because the trees produce large amounts of avocados. Reeds are available from the summer through the early winter.
Reed avocados can weigh up to two pounds. The skin is dark green, and the flesh is creamy. Reed avocados have a nutty flavor that makes them perfect for salads, sandwiches, and smoothies.
Unlike other avocados, Reeds are round in shape rather than pear shape. The flesh is also more yellow than green.
Additionally, each Reed avocado has much more meat on average than other varieties of avocado.
Zutano
Zutano avocados are small fruits with bright-green skin and closely resemble the Fuerte avocado in shape and skin color.
They have a creamy texture, a mild flavor, and low oil and high water content.
As a result, the taste of Zutanos is more watery and not as distinct as other avocados. Additionally, the skin is difficult to peel.
This combination of poor flavor and tough skin has limited the popularity of the Zutano avocado. However, this variety is more robust in cold weather than other avocado varieties.
Zutanos are named after the town of Zutano, Mexico. Today, Zutano avocados are grown all over the world.
This type of avocado is popular because the trees produce large amounts of avocados. Zutanos are available from early fall through the spring.
Gwen
Gwen avocados are large fruits with bright-green skin and have a creamy texture and a nutty flavor.
Gwen’s are a descendant of Hass avocados and have the same rough skin. However, they are rounder and more significant than Hass avocados.
Gwen’s usually range between six and fifteen ounces in weight.
This variety of avocado has a tiny seed surrounded by delicious nutty flesh. This avocado is appealing to growers because the tree stays small and is easy to harvest.
The drawback is that Gwen’s are only available in the summer. Nevertheless, Gwen avocados are one of my favorite varieties of avocado.
Brogden
Brogden avocados are large fruits with dark-green/black skin when ripe. They have a creamy texture and a nutty flavor.
Brogden avocados are similar in color and taste to Hass avocados but have a much larger seed.
Brogden avocados have become popular because they handle cold temperatures and have an outstanding flavor. In my opinion, Brogden’s are one of the tastiest avocados.
This variety of avocados handles cold weather well and produces avocados from Summer through early fall.
Tom W. Brogden grew this variety of avocado in the 1930s in Winter Haven, Florida. Many experts believe it is a cross between Mexican and West Indian avocados.
Holiday
The Holiday avocado is a newcomer to the party. It was first grown in 2001.
One of the unique characteristics of this avocado variety is that it is a semi-dwarf tree. It is much smaller than its relatives. Some types of avocados can grow to be almost 40 feet.
Despite their small size, Holiday avocado trees produce a large number of avocados.
The fruits are large, easy to peel, and tasty. However, this avocado is primarily grown in small numbers due to its small size.
Lamb Hass
Lamb Hass avocados are the big brother of the Hass avocado.
This variety is usually between 10-18 ounces but can occasionally reach two pounds. Lamb Hass trees are smaller than their Hass brethren.
Additionally, Lamb Hass avocados ripen later in the year. The fruit is a pear or oval shape but has the distinct bumpy skin associated with Hass avocados.
Lamb Hass Avocados also share the dark, almost black skin when ripe and have a similar taste and texture as Hass avocados.
This variety of avocado is only available during the summer months, unfortunately. The limited growing season is what limits this delicious variety of avocado.
Mexicola
The Mexicola avocado has very thin, glossy, black skin that is easy to peel.
Unlike other avocado varieties, the skin is edible, although not particularly tasty. The Mexicola avocado has delightfully creamy and delicate flesh with a rich and nutty flavor.
What prevents the Mexicola avocado from being more popular is its size. This avocado rarely gets larger than eight ounces; a significant portion of that weight is the seed.
However, the Mexicola variety is a quick grower, making it appealing to some growers. Additionally, it is one of the most cold-resistant varieties of avocado.
These two characteristics make up for its lack of size. It is available from the late summer through the winter.
Pryor
Pryor avocados are another variety of cold-resistant avocados rapidly growing in popularity.
Unlike other types, Pryor avocados can withstand freezing temperatures that would kill most other avocados.
Initially cultivated in Texas, this variety produced a relatively small fruit that can be eggplant shaped at times. The skin is thin and light green, and the flesh has a mild flavor but high oil content.
In addition to being cold-resistant, this variety grows aggressively. These two factors make it popular with new growers.
Stewart
Stewart avocados are similar to Mexicola avocados.
They are pear-shaped and have thick dark skin similar in color to Hass avocados. However, unlike Hass avocados, Stewarts have smooth skin.
Stewart avocados are relatively small and run between six to ten ounces but have delicious flesh.
The flesh can be up to 20% oil which makes it a bit oily for raw consumption but makes this variety of avocado perfect for avocado oil production.
This variety is available from the fall through the winter and is relatively cold resistant compared to other avocado varieties.
Types of Avocados
- Bacon
- Fuerte
- Hass
- Pinkerton
- Reed
- Zutano
- Gwen
- Brogden
- Holiday
- Lamb Hass
- Mexicola
- Pryor
- Stewart
Final Thoughts
There are many different types of avocados. Some are better for eating raw, some for cooking, and some for producing oil. The three most common varieties of avocados are Hass, Lamb Hass, and Mexicola. However, there are many other delicious varieties out there.
Avocados are a healthy and delicious addition to any diet. They are a good source of fiber and can help you feel full and satisfied after eating.
I recommend trying all the varieties on this list until you find your favorite. It’s the perfect excuse to eat more guacamole.
Learn more about other foods in your fridge or pantry, like different types of chocolate or lobster varieties you can eat.
My favorite avocado is the Pollack. As a Floridan, this Florida avocado beats all the rest!