Know your avocados

Excerpt from an article in Saveur Magazine
August/September 2007

by James Oseland

Though the famously rich-tasting hass variety dominates the American market, hundreds of other types of avocado exist - all of them descended from three primary subspecies: West Indian, Guatemalan, and Mexican. Here are nine of our favorites.

1. DONNIE Resembling a bright green papaya, the roughly six and a half inch long donnie can weigh as much as one and a half pounds but has a surprisingly small seed, or pit. When this avocado is ripe, its thick skin is taut and shiny and, if the fruit rubbed against a branch as it matured, occasionally sports brown leathery patches. The donnie's light, mild flesh, low in fat and in calories, pairs well with richer ingredients such as cream and olive oil in velvety soups and salad dressings. Since it's so large, the donnie is the perfect avocado for stuffing, especially with crab meat salad.

Other varieties shown in the photo:

2. Zutano

3. Fuerte

4. Macarthur

5. Gwen

6. Bacon

7. Hass

8. Frey

9. Pinkerton