How much more avocado toast could you make with a giant avocado? Well, you might soon have the opportunity to find out, since Australia has started producing the variety, lovingly dubbed ‘Avozilla’. Until then, others have asked themselves this question, and the answer seems to be… 18!
The Avozilla is about five times the size of a normal avocado. And they have an average weight of 3 pounds (1.2 kilograms). And you don’t have to worry about the quality of the fruit – it’s still quite nutritious and the consistency is quite buttery, perfect for making a large batch of guacamole or all the avocado toast you can eat (for a few days). Some of the avozillas are so huge, they can even weigh 4 pounds (approximately 2 kilos)!
400 giant avocado trees
The Groves family is the only commercial grower of the giant avocado in Australia. According to ABC News Australia, the family harvested the first crop from their 400 trees a few weeks ago. As you’d expect, people got really excited from the get-go. “Everybody is pretty amazed to see these giant avocados and they are quite a statement, when you see one it is unforgettable,” Mr. Groves said when talking to ABC. “Often big fruit and big vegetables don’t taste as good as the smaller ones but in this case, they really do, they are a very good eating fruit,” he added.
The avozilla variety originated in South Africa; the fruit is bred just like any other crop of fruit and vegetables, and not genetically altered. Its original name was, weirdly, Post Office.
The Groves family had to pay a royalty and sign a license agreement before planting the trees. And that’s because they’re under plant breeder rights. But the fuss paid off royally for the growers: people bought the majority of giant avocados in just under two days at most wholesalers.
One Avozilla costs about $9, or 12 Australian dollars. Which is not bad considering that you can make a spread for about 14-18 pieces of toast out of one. Or some great face masks. And you only have to buy it once and make sure that it’s ripe. If you ever get your hands on one of them, know that after you cut it you can keep it fresh by wrapping it tightly and storing it in the fridge. But be careful while cutting it, because cutting an avocado can be a safety hazard.
