Ever come across dark green oblong-shaped produce with leathery skin and unsure if it's a fruit or vegetable? Don't worry; we have you covered. That is called an Avocado or Butter Fruit in parts of India, and yes, it is a fruit. In India, you get two varieties, the Grown in India called the Indian Avocado and the Imported one, which is generally Hass. There are multiple other varieties found around the world. Their skin can easily distinguish them, and the Indian one is light to medium green, whereas the imported one is a dark shade of green, almost purple, and has very scaly skin. Another obvious way to distinguish them is the price. The Indian ones are up to 3X times cheaper than the Imported ones. If you're looking to buy imported avocado in Mumbai, you'll notice the difference right away.

Indian Vs Imported

Which one is better? Environmentally it's the Indian one, as they are transported from South India or North-East India, generally via train. Meanwhile, the imported ones come via plane from New Zealand or Mexico and have a large carbon footprint, including the perishability of the fruit. The Indian one also hands down wins in the category of being pocket-friendly. Taste-wise, both are similar. Sometimes, the pit or seeds inside are bigger than the Indian one and are not uniformly light green—a classic case of not judging a book by the cover.

Helpful Tips

• Avocados have a limited time period when they are ripe. How do you know if it is ripe? Our founder likes to remove the depression from where the stem was cut off. If it is light green and the fruit is soft to the touch, that means it’s ready for consumption.

• It is important to remember that avocados oxidize when exposed to the air. The best way to keep them green is to squeeze a few drops of lemon on them, and they can stay in the fridge perfectly fine for a few days.

• When you open the fruit, if some bits are brown, don’t worry. You can remove those parts and use the remainder.

• If you want to ripen your avocados quicker, cover them with newspaper and keep them outside at room temperature. That should quicken the ripening period.

At Zumos, we sell both varieties from our most trusted sources after thorough Quality and Taste checks. For recipe ideas, follow our socials @ zumos.in.  Sign up for our newsletter to receive specially curated recipes.