Avocados 3

[klikster]

Just thought it would be nice to have another "avocados" thread in case anyone missed the other 2.

[sbk]

[kpmsprtd]

I must have missed the other two. Currently, I am averaging one avocado a day as they must be in season or something. I'm paying about 77 U.S. cents for good ones. One of the worst things about living abroad was no avocados... (I could have bought some unripe ones for U.S.$5 each, but chose not to.)

[sceadugenga]

I like avocados.

[cmjantje]

I don't

Edited March 29, 2010 by cmjantje

[simcity]

Are the chiangmai avocadoes available?

I did not follow the avocadoes 1 and 2, but I do keep my eyes open for them when I shop in Makro or Foodland.

[villagefarang]

Maybe I should start AVOCADOS Part 4, Revenge of the Guacamole!

I hate avocados but my wife likes the imports, not the mushy locals.

[mcgriffith]

3 lg Haas avocados

1/2 tsp course salt

3 or 4 finely minced serrano (or Thai) chili peppers

1/2 cup of minced red onion (local red shallots will do)

1 medium tomato, diced finely

juice of 3 limes

Lightly mash with a fork; should still have a chunky texture.

Serve with totopos (deep fried corn chips) with pico de gallo salsa on the side.

And some good Mexican beer, or some horchata for you teetotalers

Oh, sorry- I saw "Avocados 3"- I thought this was a recipe thread for 3 avocados....

[sceadugenga]

Did you know the name avocado comes from ahuacatl, the Nahuatl word for testicle?

So two seems like a more natural number.

[svenivan]

I hate avocados but my wife ...............

How can you "hate" avocados?

I know that teenagegirls "hate" that music or that filmstar.

But a grownup man "hates" a vegetable?

[steelepulse]

I hate avocados but my wife ...............

How can you "hate" avocados?

I know that teenagegirls "hate" that music or that filmstar.

But a grownup man "hates" a vegetable?

From wiki answers and it appears to be a fruit, not a vegetable:

"the avacado, discoverd by Charles Avocad in 1762 is botanically a fruit but culinary or in the kitchen it is often treated as a vegetable. In some cuisines, the avocado is treated as a fruit and is used in some desserts.

Avocado

An avocado is a dense, evergreen tree, shedding many leaves in early spring. It is fast growing and can with age reach 80 feet. Avocado flowers appear in January - March. Avocados have a big seed in the middle. The reason that people mistake avocados for vegetables is because they are green and they don't really fit into your fruit salad. But if you didn't know, vegetables never grow from trees and all fruits grow from trees. If an avocado grows from a tree, than it can only be a fruit. "

[villagefarang]

I hate avocados but my wife ...............

How can you "hate" avocados?

I know that teenagegirls "hate" that music or that filmstar.

But a grownup man "hates" a vegetable?

The thing is they make me ill. So do bell peppers for some reason. Don't know why.

So I guess you could say I hate what they do to my stomach. Is that better?

[sceadugenga]

I know a few grown men who hate broccoli.... and brussel sprouts.... and cauliflower...

But I love them all.

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Hate pumpkin.

[cmjantje]

I know a few grown men who hate broccoli.... and brussel sprouts.... and cauliflower...

Any idea where to buy the sprouts??

[sceadugenga]

You used to be able to but them if packs of about 6 in Big C but I haven't seen them for a long time now.

[Chaimai]

I know a few grown men who hate broccoli.... and brussel sprouts.... and cauliflower...

Any idea where to buy the sprouts??

Wow ! What a mixed up mind - hates avocado but loves? sprouts !

[mcgriffith]

If you have ever had the pleasure (food allergy members excluded) of eating a perfect Haas avocado...

It is like green vegetable butter. Loaded with vitamin E, and the best kind of other good things.

I lived in Mexico and Central America for a bit- most of the avocados there (and here in Thailand) are the large, watery and altogether unappealing type.

Get your hands on a real Haas avocado....nectar of the gods.

Once I was in Kabul, and a pal showed up with a large number.

I paid the equivalent of 10 USD each for a half dozen.

I've bought this Haas variety imported from OZ at Rimping here in CM.

Probably some of us who like avos, are the same sort who like durian.

[sceadugenga]

I suspect it's the texture rather than the taste, I know people who feel the same way about beans (the dried variety).

[lioness]

Hass ( correct spelling ) is a popular fruit due to the slightly nutty flavour.

However ( this is a repeat from another thread ) if you are passing through TAK a sidetrip to the Mauser markets on the Mae Sot road is well worthwhile, they have a few types including Hass occassionally, but the big winner is the Fuerte, a large fruit with a superb flavour, thin skin and a lovely creamy texture.

Most times they are 3kg for 100 Baht, however when they are in abundance I have previously bought 5kg for 100 Baht.

These fruit ripen from the bottom up, the best way to ripen them is to place into a paper bag.

[svenivan]

These fruit ripen from the bottom up, the best way to ripen them is to place into a paper bag.

In Sweden, long time ago, another century, we put the avacado in a plastic bag together with som sliced apple to ripe them!

[islandguy]

I consider myself lucky to have tasted many varieties of Avos in San Diego (center of US cultivation) and Central America/Southern Mexico ( their ancestral home). Most of the Thai avos I have tried have been of the jungle lowland varieties (thin skin, less rich and oily) and of poor to average quality. Three years ago on a trip to Chiang Mai in November we bought various kinds of avos and one of them, from the central fresh market, was an absolute winner! Thin skinned but quite rich and with a great flavor. Had to be one of the best 10 kinds I ever had. Wish I knew how to get more (and yes, friends have sent us ones they bought by fast post - eat them right away!).

Avos are now much more expensive in California than before partly because many farmers have had to stop growing them in San Diego and Santa Barbara counties due to the high cost of water.

[kandahar]

I consider myself lucky to have tasted many varieties of Avos in San Diego (center of US cultivation) and Central America/Southern Mexico ( their ancestral home). Most of the Thai avos I have tried have been of the jungle lowland varieties (thin skin, less rich and oily) and of poor to average quality. Three years ago on a trip to Chiang Mai in November we bought various kinds of avos and one of them, from the central fresh market, was an absolute winner! Thin skinned but quite rich and with a great flavor. Had to be one of the best 10 kinds I ever had. Wish I knew how to get more (and yes, friends have sent us ones they bought by fast post - eat them right away!).

Avos are now much more expensive in California than before partly because many farmers have had to stop growing them in San Diego and Santa Barbara counties due to the high cost of water.

Sorry to hear that they got expensive in California. I recall stopping at roadside stands there in the early and mid 80's and getting 12 avocados for one dollar. That seemed cheap to me because they were 2 for one dollar where I lived. I also picked up almond butter at those stands on many of my trips to the coast and took several jars home. The California almond butter was way better than peanut butter but those produce stands in California are the only places I could ever find it.

I'm surprised that they don't have something along those lines, peanut butter or almond butter, here in Thailand. I buy peanut butter at Tops (expensive) but I think that type of food isn't well received by the locals. As many peanuts as they eat here, I would think peanut butter or a similar product would be a staple.

[sceadugenga]

There used to be a locally made peanut butter available. The Belgian baker had it before he closed and I seem to recollect seeing it at Rimping (Airport) in Chiang Mai. It was really nice.

You might like to ask on the Chiang Mai forum.

[Slip]

When I was a child I hated avo's but now I love them.

I have some brussel sprout seeds from the UK if anyone would like me to send them a couple.

I also love pumpkin. (sorry off topic).

This is by far the best of the 3 avocado threads.

[kandahar]

There used to be a locally made peanut butter available. The Belgian baker had it before he closed and I seem to recollect seeing it at Rimping (Airport) in Chiang Mai. It was really nice.

You might like to ask on the Chiang Mai forum.

I wouldn't hunt for it in CM but if I found it locally, I would give it a try.

It is easy enough to make. Many of the grocery stores at my old home have the grinder available to the shoppers. You can grind your own, fresh, in the store. You just put the little tub under the spout and turn the thing on. It grinds up the peanuts and fills the tub for you. But I find the cost of peanuts here would make the home-made stuff even more expensive than the product at Tops. Peanuts are pretty cheap back home.

[villagefarang]

I copied this post from yet another avocado thread started by jingthing in the western food forum. Thought it had some interesting information that others might find useful. I noticed that the guy goes back and forth between Hass and Haas so I looked it up and wiki says that both are often used but that Hass is the original. Learn something everyday. I still hate avocados.

-------------------------------

These are the Shepard variety of avocados that you are seeing in Bangkok.

http://www.gorgecreekorchards.com.au/avocado1.jpg

At 49 Baht an avo, Tops has these as a loss leader as they are selling them for 1372 a tray( 28 avocados in a tray) and they pay wholesale 1.400 Baht a tray from Choice Foods who imports them.

The normal price per tray this time of year is 1,100 Baht a kilo.

In the AU, the normal price is $20 Aussie dollars per tray and is now at A$25. The price increase is due to shortages in the Western Australian crop because of adverse seasonal conditions. Several weeks ago the price skyrocketed to A$45 a tray but is back now to A$25

The Shepherd variety has seen severe water-logging bring on disease in many avocado plantations on the Atherton Tableland which has caused the damage spots and fiber you are seeing inside the avo. It's not because they are freezing them. The Shepherds also are not as creamy as the Hass.

The Shepard avocados is finishing up its season, which will be followed by large production lines of the Hass avocado, and those will be shipped to Bangkok in this month.

In Jan of this year, Hass tray prices were seen of up to A$60, double last year's price because in West Australian as well as NZ the winter was cold and they had hail damage causing a significantly shortage. Consumer demand then outstrip supply by a wide margin. Reports that one single avacado was fetching A$5 per piece at that time. In Bangkok a tray then was selling for 1,650 Baht a tray versus 800 Baht a tray in November 2009.

At Sunrise Tacos, I take pride we've done a good job on not raising the price of our famous guacamole in spite of the record increase. In normal times our food costs are in the 35% range to make guacamole, now we are hitting the very high area of 72%; add to that the 25% rent on gross sales at Emporium or Paragon and there is not much left to pay the staff salaries, electricity, etc . on sales of our guacamole. Fortunately we do sell a few more items like nachos, tacos, burritos and enchiladas so it looks like I can still pay this month's rent!

Why not raise the price of guacamole? A number of other Mexican restaurants are priced much higher in Bangkok, with several being in the 200-300 Baht range. At Sukhumvit Soi 12 we sell chips and guacamole for 119 Baht, 75 Baht extra for guacamole in a burrito or 25 baht extra per taco. Sunrise Tacos is quite popular not only for its quality but also for being 20-80% lower priced on some items. Our guests appreciate that we don't raise prices at the drop of a hat as we are in for the long run.

Why not use fillers? A popular way to stretch the amount of guacamole per avocado is by using sour cream, milk or even mayo as a filler. At Sunrise Tacos we have never done this and never will as it changes the flavor from the true Mexican guacamole. Our signature dish at Sunrise Tacos is our guacamole and we do take pride in a food critic and many of our guests stating that it is '"best guacamole this side of the Pacific." http://bkmagazine.com/feature/happy-cinco-de-mayo

We love it when our guests are happy.

Why not use Thai avocados? Thailand has many great fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately many avocados grown in Thailand are too watery and have a bland taste compared to imported Haas avocados. The only ingredient we import at Sunrise Tacos is the avocado, everything else we source in Thailand.

The guests and our Mexican chef is looking foward to the Hass avocados in the coming weeks, they simply make a much better guacamole. At Sunrise Tacos because of the demand for our guacamole, the folks at Choice Foods,tell me, we are the number 1 importer of AU avocados. It's all about the Hass and some spices... also don't overmix the guacamole.

The Hass avocados are the best! Coming to all supermarkets in Bangkok soon!

www.sunrisetacos.com

[Slip]

Thanks for that Avocado-based news/information VillageFarang

Spelling :S

Edited April 4, 2010 by Slip

[whiterussian]

avo mushed with salt and pepper, on well toasted bread.

one of my staples quick fixes...

as an alternative to the other 5 minutes wonder that is cheese on toast...

haven't tasted either for 4 years