The Many Different Kinds of Avocados

Hass avocados may be the most familiar and popular variety, but there are other kinds as well.

One half of an avocado with a pit on a cutting board with one whole avocado in the background as well as basket of avocados off to the side.

There are hundreds of avocado varieties. We won’t cover them all — just the top nine that you can find in United States.

Avocados are native to southern Central America. Here in the United States, California has the avocado bragging rights. Its farmers grow the majority of the country’s avocados. Kudos, dudes.

Hass

This is the popular kid in class. Most of the U.S. crop is Hass with it’s creamy texture.

Gwen

If you like Hass, you’ll like this variety. It tastes similar to Hass. The only difference? It’s slightly larger.

Lamb Hass

Lamb Hass is bigger than Hass. It’s known for its creamy, nutty taste.

Bacon

No, it doesn’t taste like bacon. Dang it. It’s less oily than Hass.

Fuerte

This is a big avocado and the taste is supposed to be amazing. Good luck finding one tough. They are rarely found in grocery stores.

Pinkerton

Pinkertons are long and slender. It has a rich and creamy flavor.

Reed

Reed avocados are round and have a sturdy skin.

Slimcado

This variety is grown in Florida and is the trade name for the Florida Avocado, pictured above. It is large and kelly green. It has much less fat than a Hass but a higher water content yielding less of the rich flavor we’re used to.

Zutano

This has a mild flavor. It’s also one of the first avocado varieties of the season.

Amy Bowen

Amy had no clue how to cook until she became the food reporter for a daily newspaper in Minnesota. At 25, she even struggled with boxed mac and cheese. These days, Amy is a much better cook, thanks to interviewing cooks and chefs for more than 10 years. She even makes four cheese macaroni and cheese with bacon, no boxed mac in sight. Amy is also on the editorial team at The Cookful.

Lynn Welch says

July 13, 2022 at 2:39 pm

I am not sure what kind of avocado I have it has just started making fruit, I have 5 they look like Hall avocados. There appear to be over a pound each. They were budding in March and April, now there pretty large. I don’t know when I should pick them. Like I said they have to be well over a pound. There as big as a soft ball. Should I let it grow more or pick one ?

- Christine Pittman says
  
  July 15, 2022 at 8:52 am
  
  I’m not sure, Lynn! You could pick one to check, but it looks like avocados can take up to 8 months from bloom to harvest so they may need a little longer.