What if we told you there’s an avocado so long you’d need an entire baguette to make avocado toast with it? Because we are actually telling you that. Recently, a photo of an avocado nearly as long as a human arm went viral — attracting attention as far away as Australia.
But what exactly is this freakishly long green fruit? More importantly, what does it taste like?
The V.I. Free Press got the scoop from Miami Fruit, the online fruit stand and Florida farm who posted the viral photo. Here’s what you need to know.
They’re called long neck avocados
“These long green fruits are actually avocados,” said Rane Roatta, who co-founded Miami Fruit with his partner Edelle Schlegel. According to Roatta, farmers in Miami grow hundreds of varieties year-round. Even though they only recently garnered mainstream attention, these unusually long avocados have been sold by Miami Fruit for years.
Avocado aficionados consider these long neck avocados — as they’re unofficially called — to be of the Pura Vida variety. According to a 2012 Slate article about avocado collectors, Pura Vida avocado trees bear gourd-shaped fruit averaging 18 inches in length. Some, however, can grow up to three feet long.
Long neck avocados are usually available from mid to late summer. In fact, the last day to order a box from Miami Fruit is today, Aug. 14. But don’t be too bummed if you miss the deadline. “They are available to pre-order for next season,” said Roatta. (But, unfortunately, if you live in California, the USDA prohibits avocado shipments from Florida.)
They can be as pricey as they are long
Each long neck avocado weighs 1-3 pounds. For comparison, the average California Hass avocado only weighs about 1/3 pound. Meanwhile, the world’s largest avocado is thought to be a five-pound avocado found by a woman out for a walk in Hawaii 2017.
Miami Fruit sells its long neck avocados in bulk starting at $47 for the smallest box which contains 3-6 pounds of fruit. The biggest (and best value) box is $197 and contains 35-45 pounds. The weight of each box varies since the avocados aren’t uniform in size. That makes pricing out one avocado tricky — but not impossible.
For example, if you get a small box with one 3-pound avocado in it, that’s a $47 avocado. On the other hand, if you get the biggest box, with 45 one-pound avocados, it’s only about $4.38 per avocado. Per pound, you’re looking at anywhere between $7.83 and $15.66 for a small box and between $4.38 and $5.63 for a big box. For comparison, when Hass avocado prices hit a high earlier this year, they were $3.37 per pound.
They have a unique — but pleasant! — taste and texture
“Our long neck avocados are thick, creamy, savory and slightly sweet,” said Schlegel, who adds that a customer will receive a variety of sizes, including some that might be as big as their head, in their box. Unfortunately, the bigger the avocado, the bigger the pit. Unless, of course, you can find one of the rare pitless avocados out there. Yes, those exist, too.
