Do you think you would be able to tell different kinds of avocado apart in a guacamole, or a summer salad? They may seem to blend into one another in the supermarket displays, but among the hundreds of varieties of this creamy fruit, two remain the most popular.
Ingredients
What Exactly Is a Fuerte Avocado?
What makes this variety of avocado different, and how will it affect your cooking?
By Published May 13, 2022.
Hass avocados, mainly grown in California and Mexico, are identifiable by their rough skin and deep green color. The other variety you might recognize is lighter in color, and has smooth, bright green skin. These are known as Fuerte avocados, or Florida avocados, as that’s the state in which they are primarily grown.
Sign up for the Notes from the Test Kitchen newsletter
Our favorite tips and recipes, enjoyed by 2 million+ subscribers!
America's Test Kitchen will not sell, rent, or disclose your email address to third parties unless otherwise notified. Your email address is required to identify you for free access to content on the site. You will also receive free newsletters and notification of America's Test Kitchen specials.
While it may seem as though you could easily sub out one for another in a recipe, there are significant differences between these two varieties. Learning these differences will help you improve the results of any creamy, fruity dish you’re whipping up.
Do Hass avocados and Fuerte avocados taste different?
In short, yes: Hass and Fuerte avocados do have different flavors and can very well make a difference to the outcome of your meal. Hass avocados have a buttery, meaty texture, while Fuerte avocados are sweeter and frutier.
Fuerte avocados also have a less-creamy taste due to the fact that they are more watery than the Hass variety; a consideration when you want to bring a bold flavor into a sauce, dip or dressing using the fruit.
Book
Vegetables Illustrated
This is the book for anyone looking for fresh, modern ways to add more vegetables to their diet—which is just about all of us. And this exciting guide could have come from only Cook’s Illustrated.Buy Now
Are there nutritional differences between Hass and Fuerte avocados?
Because Fuerte avocados have a higher water content than their Hass cousins, they also have lower levels of fat. It’s the fat in Hass avocados that offer their richer flavor, making them more adaptable and suitable in recipes across the board.
Both varieties are relatively high in protein, and according to our cookbook Vegetables Illustrated, avocados have the highest protein content of any fruit.
What are SlimCados?
Because Florida avocados are slightly lower in fat than Hass avocados, you may occasionally see them marketed under the brand name SlimCado. This is not a new variety, but rather a marketing angle. Florida avocados and SlimCados are one in the same.
In short, Hass and Fuerte avocados not only look a little different, but you will notice these different varieties affecting the flavor and nutritional content of any recipe you make with them. While the changes may not be huge, it’s worth taking a second look at which fruit you’re picking up at the grocer, and using it accordingly.