The Avocados they have been in fashion for several years for their fantastic properties and for their characteristic flavor. This has made it one of the few vegetables whose demand exceeds supply and is considered an expanding fruit.
It’s a tropical cultivation or subtropical and contains essential fatty acids, as well as a very complete mineral and vitamin ratio. Although we have already analyzed some of its most important properties, in this article we want to let you know what are the main ones most interesting avocado varieties, as well as analyze if there are nutritional differences between each of them.
Although we may only know 3 or 4 varieties of avocado, scattered around the world there are many more cultivars. In fact, hundreds of varieties are grown, especially in areas of stable temperatures and subtropical zones. Many of them are considered hybrids, which is basically the result of joining 2 varieties to originate a new one with combined properties.
Health Benefits of Avocados
The first thing to keep in mind is that avocados are highly nutritious. They contain a lot of minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, manganese and zinc. In turn, the folic acid it provides us with and vitamins C, E and K is important.
Although it contains many fats, most of them are monounsaturated, mainly formed by oleic acid, considered beneficial for cardiovascular health according to numerous scientific investigations. These fats, in appropriate amounts, reduce inflammation and have cancer-preventive activity. [See study]
Another positive effect of the different varieties of avocado that we can consume is its high fiber content and low glycemic index. This element is not consumed in sufficient quantities in Western countries and leads to a large number of diseases.
At the level of protection, it contains healthy antioxidants, highlighting the large concentration of zeaxanthin and lutein. Regular consumption of agucate is associated with a healthy diet and a lower risk of metabolic syndrome. In addition, there are a thousand ways to prepare them.
Nutritional characteristics
Let’s take as an example the consumption of an avocado of medium size (200 grams). From here we can easily extrapolate in the event that we take half (100 grams) or only 1/4 (25 grams).
- Total energy: 322 kcal (16% RDA)
- Proteins: 4 g (8% RDA)
- Carbohydrates: 17.1 g (16% RDA)
- Fiber: 13.5 g (54% RDA)
- Total fat: 29.5 g (45% RDA)
- Saturated fat: 4.3 g (21% RDA)
- Unsaturated fat: 19.7 g
Discover the different varieties of avocado
It is possible that Europe will only reach a few varieties of avocado, but the truth is that there are hundreds of different options spread around the world, the result of crosses and hybridizations between them. This makes it a great option to choose from with different sizes, colors and flavors.
Although its origin is American, especially located in Mexico and Guatemala, today it is cultivated in many subtropical and tropical areas, one of them in Spain, in the Malaga area next to the coast, with mild temperatures throughout the year.
At the time of classify avocado, you can recognize the type A cultivars and type B cultivars. This difference is based on the shape and timing of pollination of its flowers. In general, this way of classifying does not affect the consumer at all, nor is there a distinction between its properties or nutritional content.
The process of pollination and fertilization in this tree is known as dichogamy. Type A flowers bloom as females in the morning and shed pollen as males in the afternoon. In contrast, type B flowers receive pollen in the afternoon and throw it in the morning. Therefore, many avocado varieties share very similar characteristics among themselves, with small differences in size, color, flavor or shape.
Avocado varieties from type A cultivars
Although there are many more, below are some of the best-known type A growing avocados:
Hass
One of the most popular avocado varieties. It has availability almost all year round and a characteristic flavor, mixture of nut and butter texture. The shape of the fruit is round, with an intense green skin and darker when ripe.
Pinkerton
The Pinkerton has a more oval shape, with a rough skin to the touch that facilitates its peeling. The seed inside is somewhat smaller than other varieties.
Lula
The consumption of the Lula variety is made during the summer. Its oil content is somewhat lower than other varieties, so it contains more water. At the cultivation level, it is more sensitive to cold and the presence of fungi, so it is grown in areas with lower humidity and rainfall.
Reed
Reed is only available in the warm summer months. In terms of flavor, it is more subtle and lighter, with a size similar to that of a tennis ball. One of the differences of this variety of avocado is that its skin remains a vivid green color throughout its ripening.
Choquette
The big difference of the Choquette avocado is its smooth skin, with a pulp with lower oil content and more watery. This variety is usually consumed in the United States, specifically in Florida.
Gwen
In terms of flavor and physically, it is quite similar to the Hass variety, one of the best known. Its origin belongs to the country of Guatemala. Its skin is quite thick but peeling is quite easy, as it peels off very easily from the pulp.
Maluma
The avocado variety is known as Hass Maluma, although it is directly simplified as Maluma. It has more than 30 years of commercialization, with South African origin. It offers slower growth but has quite a bit of production.
Varieties of avocado from type B cultivars
Strong
The Fuerte avocado variety is also one of the most consumed worldwide, along with Hass. It is pear-shaped and its availability is high (up to 8 months), but lower than Hass. Its texture is quite oily, very similar to that of the hazelnut nut.
So-and-so
With a lighter skin and a color mixture of yellow and green, it offers a very subtle and light flavor, quite differentiated from other varieties.
Monroe
The Monroe avocado produces large fruits that, in some productions can be close to the kg of weight. A fairly solid meat and rich in oils.
Ettinger
The Ettinger avocado is not a very common variety, although it is usually grown in some areas of Israel. One of the most distinctive features of this variety is its skin, bright green. Inside, it contains a fairly large seed, being quite mild in taste.
Cleopatra
The cleopatra variety produces fruits of small size, considered by many as “dwarf avocado”. It is quite recent, although it has good acceptance in the market.
Sharwil
Australia also produces its own avocado varieties, as is the case with the Sharwil cultivar. It contains a yellow pulp, quite different from other fruits, with a rough-looking shell and green color. It is grown in warm areas given its sensitivity to low temperatures.
Brogden
The mixture of different varieties of Mexican origin originates the Brogden avocado. A variety designed to grow in cold and frost-sensitive areas. Its commercialization is not yet very marked, but it opens a range of possibilities to grow it in areas of lower temperature.
Bacon
The bacon variety produces a more subtle and lighter flavor than other varieties. The skin is brown and is very easy to peel and separate from the pulp.
Which is the healthiest for me?
At the level of consumption, there are no different in terms of the contribution of nutrients and benefits of its unsaturated oils. However, there are clear differences in color, texture and taste, so each variety is used for different cases.
For the preparation of guacamole, it may be interesting to choose options with more oils and more buttery texture. For fresh consumption, we can look for harder avocado options with a crunchier texture.
