Avocado Taste Test - Comparing Pears...

...and Classic Pairings:


I have been meaning to do a comparative tasting of locally-grown avocados for several weeks. The only problem has been that my willpower is weak and I usually eat one of them before finding time to conduct the test. Finally, today, I had all three pears available from my local market in the house at the same time. Here are my notes:

BACON Avocado from Four Sisters Farm

To the Eye: Outside - lemon green with brown, scabby patches
Inside Pale lemon to white, minimal green, visible fibres.

In the Mouth: Very Milky after taste, slight bitterness, fibrous, hard, unripe.

HASS Avocado: from Brokaw

To the Eye: Outside - Very Dark brown with hints of green, knobbly.
Inside - pale yellow with a mid green rim.

In the Mouth: Soft, like room-temperature butter, creamy after taste, rich and subtle.

GWEN Avocado: from Brokaw

To the Eye: Outside - Vibrant, rich, dark green, knobbly.
Inside - pale yellow with a wider mid green rim.

In the Mouth: Cuts like butter just out of the fridge, Watery after taste. Pronounced avocado flavour.

Before the tasting I had it in my head that the Gwen was my favourite, but when I compared it directly with the Hass, the Gwen seemed to lack the richness I remembered it having. I would be interested to compare the Gwen and Hass again, on different days throughout the season, to see if these results hold up. The few times I have tried the Bacon variety, even when properly ripened, I have been disappointed, so I don't think I will bother with it again in the future, although dieters my be interested to know the Bacon contains less fat than a Hass. But since half the amount of Hass gives me twice as much pleasure as the Bacon variety, I don't think that will do anything to change my mind and give it another chance.


AVOCADO PAIRS
Some of my favourite ways to eat avocado:

- Mashed and spread on lightly toasted bread with a squeeze of fresh lemon, freshly ground black pepper and Maldon salt.

- In a "Tricolore" Salad with mozzarella, tomato, basil and olive oil.

- Paired with Fatted Calf bacon.

- Made into guacamole with chile, lime juice, green onions, diced tomato, salt and pepper.

- Fred likes his avocado halved, filled with vinegar and eaten with a small spoon.

Nuclear Freeze: How NOT to eat your avocado...
I found an extrememly fascinating post called Avocado Ecstasy on Syllabub a couple of days ago. It's a must read. I also found an interesting comment in response to the post, scribed by the Urban Forager:

"In 1984, I offered shelter for a couple of days to a pair of wandering street preachers who called themselves "A-men." They wore white robes and went barefoot like mendicant friars, and they were strict vegans, the first I'd ever met, although I don't remember them using the word "vegan." So they didn't eat ice cream, but they did have a rich, creamy frozen dessert -- it was made of mashed-up avocados and sugar. They called it a nuclear freeze."

So I mashed up some avocado and sweetened it with Agave syrup before freezing it. When I came to try it, it nearly made me wretch and I had to spit it down the sink. In my mind, avocado definitely needs an acid contrast to cut through the richness. Sweetened, frozen avocado simply does not do it for me.



PS More ideas of ways to use avocados.

Food | Avocado | San Francisco | Eat Local | Farmers Market

Avocado Taste Test - Comparing Pears...