Avocados

[phutoie2]

Avocados, so what's the big deal? are they imported?. Picked a couple up at Makro, 60THB each. Not ripe so waited a few days and cut one open. First time I had eaten one but I thought they were a bit bland. Read up on them and folk say put salt or vinegar on them.

I have highish BS levels and just about every Diabetes site I read they are one of the worlds No 1 fruits.

Cheers

BB

[draftvader]

Best to watch out for the King's Project avocados. When they are about they are cheap (3 for B80...if I remember correctly) and great quality. Tops normally has them when in season. Alternatively look for a local King's Project shop.

[Jasun]

Most avocados you get in supermarkets in Thailand are grown on Queensland's Sunshine Coast and are imported by Choice Foods. There's some education to be done with local retailers as they stick them on the shelf too early, when they are still hard like hand grenades. If you want to ripen them up, put them in a paper bag with a banana. They taste great with a bit of salt and balsamic vinegar.

[Greenhill]

They go well with lemon juice & a little olive oil in the space created when the seed/stone is removed!

[Jip99]

Mix it with cream cheese and make a salmon roulade - very tasty.

[DonaldBattles]

Avocados are one of the most healthful and amazing fruits in existence. There are over 500 different varieties. They grow reasonably in north Thailand.

With respect to the Tops imported Queensland Australia imported Haas are very small and expensive. If you take away the seed and the pealing you are paying about1300 B/kg for the meat.

The Thai avocados are great but you are right they don't know how to care for them and when to pick them. Doi Kham the King's project has the best selection over a longer period of time. Macro has them now at B60/kg. From Californians view there is a lot of myth about Haas being the only good variety which is nonsense. All the Thai avocados are really tasty.

[stoli]

Best to watch out for the King's Project avocados. When they are about they are cheap (3 for B80...if I remember correctly) and great quality. Tops normally has them when in season. Alternatively look for a local King's Project shop.

I know the avocado's that you are speaking about. They are not of the Hass variety, but they are very good. Too bad their season only lasts for about 3 weeks, and then you have to wait another year for them.

As far as to the posters question, I always first cut them in half, slice through the meat with a knife to open it some, put on salt, and then lemon. Real yellow, lemon, not lime. Eat with a small spoon. They are very healthy for you.

I was lucky growing up in California. Always had avocado trees and lemon trees in the backyard.

[DonaldBattles]

In Thailand I have noticed two types of avocados, pear shaped Hass and round Bali.I have about 10 trees in Chiang Rai that I planted several years ago from seeds. They just started producing on one tree last year. Growth, ripping and harvest rate are a function of several variables. Generally they can be found over about a 3 month period of time. One person in Chiang Mai tells me that he is harvesting about 100 tons per year. They are sent to Bangkok for making oil and cosmetics.

The California Avocado Association is staggering with the domestic consumption and export. When I lived in LA we had trees about 50-60 feet high and 30 feet wide. They produced tons of fruit.

[Jasun]

I'll have to try those ones from up north Donald, they sound like much better value. It's a shame more Thais don't eat them and get the industry going. I think they're seen as quite niche, often marketed to pregnant women.

[fredge45]

I'll have to try those ones from up north Donald, they sound like much better value. It's a shame more Thais don't eat them and get the industry going. I think they're seen as quite niche, often marketed to pregnant women.

I have two trees producing now with more on the way.

As soon as the fruit is picking size I have trouble keeping up with the demand from Thai folks wanting more and more. Don't know about your saying for pregnant ladies as my partner's phone never seems to stop rining from all parts of the town.

Lot better money n growing these than longan for sure...

[Iamemjay]

They are grown locally. many farms around Doi Ang Kahn/Fang districts. Forget 4 for 80B - ridiculously expensive. I refuse to buy them if they go over 50B kg (about 4 to a kilo). I consider 25 to 30B a kilo a good price,

The ones here are mainly the West Indian derived varieties - not the Guatamalan derived varieties (Hass, Fuerte, Reed. Williams etc) that you are probably accustomed to. Generally, they are not as rich in flavour, although there are exceptions. If you look for the Hass-cross ones - they go black when ripe similar to a Hass, but larger than a Hass, the elongated pear shaped ones or the light green coloured ones, you will find them better flavoured. The very large ones are almost totally lacking in flavour

It is true that some here are imported - these are in the big supermarkets, usually from New Zealand, small and ridiculously expensive. Instead, look for them in the local markets. It might take a while but you'll eventually find them. Be aware that there are some months that they are out of season and just not available locally at all.

[phutoie2]

The avocados I bought from Makro have a sticker on saying "New Zealand". I put them in a bowl next to some apples and they have softened up. To be honest I'm not sure what to make of them taste wise, despite putting some salt/lemon juice on them. The wife has just come in from the market with a nice bunch of bananas and ripe mango's. We eat a lot of fruit in this house.

[HooHaa]

sea salt and black pepper. heaven.

[monkey dog]

on real hot buttered multigrain toast daily.

[monkey dog]

ah the problem has dawned on me. you absolutely do need to know what to chose and when to eat them, if you get either of these wrong yes you can end up with a bad experience or not so good experience. get advice from someone who knows what they are doing. that knowledge takes quite some time to acquire.

[Hal65]

I was searching the Big C and Foodland for avocados yesterday and couldn't find them. Has anyone found them and one of the popular chains?

[beammeup]

usually in tops

[kevvy]

Some simple receipes

http://www.avocadocentral.com/avocado-recipes/quick-and-easy-avocado-recipes

[Jip99]

They are grown locally. many farms around Doi Ang Kahn/Fang districts. Forget 4 for 80B - ridiculously expensive. I refuse to buy them if they go over 50B kg (about 4 to a kilo). I consider 25 to 30B a kilo a good price,

The ones here are mainly the West Indian derived varieties - not the Guatamalan derived varieties (Hass, Fuerte, Reed. Williams etc) that you are probably accustomed to. Generally, they are not as rich in flavour, although there are exceptions. If you look for the Hass-cross ones - they go black when ripe similar to a Hass, but larger than a Hass, the elongated pear shaped ones or the light green coloured ones, you will find them better flavoured. The very large ones are almost totally lacking in flavour

It is true that some here are imported - these are in the big supermarkets, usually from New Zealand, small and ridiculously expensive. Instead, look for them in the local markets. It might take a while but you'll eventually find them. Be aware that there are some months that they are out of season and just not available locally at all.

My missus picked up 3 very large avocados for 100 Baht near the Burmese border at Mae Sai Agree they were a bit bland but good for mixing with other foods.

[Seastallion]

sea salt and black pepper. heaven.

And/or worcestershire sauce. Delish.

They also go well diced and put in a gently tossed salad.

[rjhklein]

About avocados, I tried to get them at Gourmet market, fashion island, food land ram intra, villa market Silom, seems the last few days they are all sold out . Are they out of season or something? I am not sure what type of avocado I usually buy but the price ranges from 70 the to 90 thb each usually. Anybody know where they are still sold in Bangkok?

Edited May 16, 2015 by rjhklein

[Jingthing]

Speaking of Haas or similar to Haas, when good quality and ripe, they are heaven on a plate.

Yes you can serve plain with some salt or pepper.

There is also making your own guacamole but I rarely do that.

I use mostly here as a side dish to an egg breakfast or egg main dish.

Pairs especially well with smoked salmon.

For example slow cooked scrambled eggs topped with smoked salmon, squeezed citrus on top, cado, tomato, and onion on the side.

My main use is in a pasta dish where I make a pesto and include smoked salmon and cut up cado.

Obviously do not cook the salmon or cado ... it goes on when you mix in the pesto.

It is true Thai grocers often ruin this product. Such a tragedy as you often don't know until you ripen at home, and it ripens rotten or substandard mushy. That happens a lot here.

They also do stupid things like to sell to sell way overripe cados for weeks after that happens ... when they should have done a promotion on the day they ripened to unload them.

I've often seen entire trays of such rotten cados and of course nobody buys them and eventually they get trashed.

Some places will give you rude treatment if you try to squeeze them, but you really do not to squeeze to see where the ripeness is at. Ideally I buy them hard and ripen at home. If lucky to find just ripe ones and you need right away, that's great, but rare. They are right to not want you to squeeze them, aggressive squeezing by multiple people will damage the fruit.

Edited May 16, 2015 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

About avocados, I tried to get them at Gourmet market, fashion island, food land ram intra, villa market Silom, seems the last few days they are all sold out . Are they out of season or something? I am not sure what type of avocado I usually buy but the price ranges from 70 the to 90 thb each usually. Anybody know where they are still sold in Bangkok?

In Pattaya, some markets have been cado dry for some time now. But not all.

[rjhklein]

Thanks but I am looking for them in Bangkok

[Jingthing]

Thanks but I am looking for them in Bangkok

Right but as they are available at at least one market in Pattaya (imported) that tells you that there are indeed some in country. So very likely some places in Bangkok might have them too.

[rjhklein]

Indeed, let's hope so. Thanks and have a good weekend

[Jingthing]

On ripening at home I like to just let it happen but sometimes it ripens the next day and sometimes several days. If in a rush, yes you can put the hard cado in a paper bag with a ripe banana and that does work to speed up the ripening. Once the cado is ripe use it soon or if you can't you can put the whole ripe cado in the frig and it will slow down the path to being too ripe for a number of days but generally less than a week. You can cut a ripe cado and use some of it (like 1/2) and then store the rest of it in the frig but that will definitely degrade very quickly and not suggested for over a day. Keep the pit in the stored part and seal it well. There are other more fancy tricks for preserving cados in frig once cut you can find online. I have never bothered. Just eat it!

As said before, sadly in Thailand it is common to buy a hard cado that never ripens properly and goes directly from hard to totally rotten.

Edited May 16, 2015 by Jingthing

[Ulysses G.]

All the Thai avocados are really tasty.

No. They are NOT. Most are virtually tasteless and that includes the ones grown up North. I am from Northern California and I really miss good avocados, but they are almost impossible to find here, unless they are imported.

The local Mexican restaurants in Northern Thailand have to add mayonnaise to the guacamole, to give it some taste.

[Jingthing]

During a short annual season I have had some very nice (small) Haas or Haas similar Thai cados from the King's Project. Other than those, yes, generally the Thai cados are awful. The non-Haas ones (which I don't really like even if good specimens) are generally awful here. In the U.S. people often call that kind "Florida" variety though in reality there are many different varieties of cados. Haas and Haas similar are widely considered superior for a reason. "Florida" type has more water, much less rich, and much less tasty, but it has it uses. I just had a "Florida" type Thai cado today ... went from hard to mush and never ripened properly ... edible but pretty disgusting.

Edited May 18, 2015 by Jingthing

[DonaldBattles]

During the season the big fresh market in Chiang Rai town always have them and they are good size. They sell for about 35B/kg. I have bought a lot there and make guacamole with them. I know for a fact that there are a lot grown in Burma and Chiang Mai. Also there are several farms in Chiang Rai. It has been so long since I have had a California Haas I have forgotten what they are like.

A personal friend of mine who lives in Chiang Rai has a big orchard in New Zealand. He tells me they sell for 3-5 Baht per kg there based on season and size. He also says that they have a 6 weeks life after they are picked. I have seen photos of his and they are much larger than the Aussie ones from Queensland.