Avocado Warning -- Save Your Money

[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.

[Sunbelt Asia]

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

[jazzbo]

... don't know that they export -- avocados are subject to wide swings in availability and quality -- anybody who has ever tasted a greyish-green spot knows this... this is one of the largest avocado producers in Australia... they as well as the USA Calavo process 100% Hass.

http://www.simpsonfarms.com/index.aspx?page=12

I would just love to have these frozen USA or Australian avocado products available here in LOS. I will never buy an avocado that has been placed in a supermarket refrigerated produce section.

[Jingthing]

Thanks for the info. That pretty much explains it all. Will wait for the decent ones, no point throwing money down the trash.

[Michaelaway]

FOODMART- Jomtien, Pattaya

Australian avocado's @ 65 baht/ each... looked fine.

[jazzbo]

I have never seen an avocado for sale at retail in Thailand that was not in a refrigerated produce shelf -- It will not thereafter ripen properly.

[chantaal]

I find the best avocados at Isetan. They always have ripe avocados there, and I don't think I have ever gotten a lame (brown inside) one there.

They usually have a choice-- like some ready to eat ones, and then some that will be ready in a few days.

Also, I may just get a couple from Isetan, and then go up to Central Food Hall or walk to the Gourmet Market at Paragon for more.

[simcity]

I bought some last week in Makro, the were not good, 230 baht in the rubbish, Top central in pinklaow has some good one two weeks ago.

[frankie52]

^The ting is, it most likely got nothing to do with the Aussie producers, they don't intentionally mishandle their products.....its all the stuff that happens to it on the way to your supermarket etc.

Your beef isnt with the Aussie Avo people....I didnt realise McDonalds offered an Avo menu just kidding

I think you hit the nail on the head though suggesting they've been frozen or something like that. Mee loves a good Avo.

I've got an Avo, an Avo 8 MkIII, but mine was made in England. I've always belived that this was one of the finest analogue multimeters made, far better than the U.S. equivalent, the Simpson 260.

[cloghead]

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

eeewww...what a load of shameless spam. Foodland has Indo avaocados from time to time. The skin is a bit thicker but they're comparable to the Cali/Aussie products.

[tutsiwarrior]

here in Hanoi I've been paying 35000VND per kilo (18975VND/USD) at the outdoor market that I frequent and I'm probably gettin' overcharged as a fool westerner; nice thin skins (red/purple when ripe) and easily peeled...good texture for whatever purpose depending on ripeness and good flavor almost on par with California, but not quite...grown locally (i.e., somewhere in NVN) much better than the expensive but mostly inedible specimens that I usesta buy in the ME...don't even wanna talk about the stuff in Thailand...

now, let me tell you about the wonderful local spinach available down the market, texture and flavor as good as any in europe or the US (5000 per bunch, good for a big salad)... an' lovely, fragrant extra virgin olive oil, feta (both imported and expensive) and PITTED BLACK OLIVES (boocoo expensive) available in shops near where I live...can't remember when I had a salad like that an' now I have one EVERY WEEK! goddamid...

and the good local beer, goddamid... and the fresh bread and the cheap wine boxes an' yadda yadda, goddamid...

oh!... :D

Edited June 7, 2010 by tutsiwarrior

[glassdude007]

my lady enjoys Imported Bing Cherry's ....

cost was very high last season off street carts in BKK 600 Baht a Kilo....

NOW this season just arived here at the Villa market in Chalong.....

1,200 baht a kilo....FORGET ABOUT IT....