Avocado Collectors: The Hunt for Rare Breeds of Avocados Food News

It's no secret we're majorly in love with avocado. But even our enthusiasm can't be matched to someone who travels to the far corners of the earth in search of rare avocado breeds.

A recent article in Slate highlights the work of Richard Campbell, a rare fruit collector for the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables, Florida. On a series of expeditions to Central America and the Caribbean between 2002 and 2008 (particularly the region bordered by Hispaniola, Panama, and southern Mexico, which is the birthplace of the wild West Indian avocado), Campbell collected over 200 varieties of avocados, and he believes that thousands more exist in the coastal areas south of the Bahamas. These rare native avocado varieties are "especially valuable to geneticists seeking to preserve and study rare plants," thus the hunt for the next undiscovered avocado type.

When Campbell is on an avocado hunting mission, he'll browse outdoor markets in search of avocados with arresting physical features. "We basically want trees that have unusual fruit--whether long, big, purple-skinned, without a seed, whatever," he tells Slate. It also seems they've found a few "knockouts" in their travels:

There is one they found in a backyard garden in Rivas, Nicaragua called the Pura Vida. The Pura Vida bears gourd-shaped fruits averaging 18 inches in length, with some growing as long as 3 feet. Then there's the Juan Jose, an avocado Campbell and Ledesma found growing on a tree in Costa Rica and whose fruits contain no seed at all--just light, creamy flesh within a soft, green skin. Campbell and Ledesma dubbed another the "car wash avocado" after the rural outpost where they found the tree growing in Guatemala. Similarly, there are two "truck stop avocados," each collected from a roadside truckers' caf in Guatemala.

For more on the art of avocado hunting, check out the full article at Slate.

Read more: Fruit Hunters Slate

Related: 30 Reasons to Buy an Avocado Tonight: Tips, Hints, Recipes

(Image: Richard Campbell for Slate)

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Super Power Lunch: Quinoa & Kale Patties

What do you get when you combine highly nutritious quinoa with superfood kale? A delicious, nutritious lunch, especially when topped with a few pieces of avocado. And it's gluten-free, too!

These patties are quite easy to make, and they travel well. Serve with a dollop of spicy homemade mayonnaise (as I did) or top with avocado, salsa, or a drizzle of olive oil and sea salt.

Get the recipe: Quinoa and Kale Patties at Yummy Supper

Related: How To Cook Quinoa

(Image: Erin D. Scott/Yummy Supper)

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Mad for Avocados! 30 Tips, Hints, and Recipes for the Creamy Green Fruit

Around here, a perfectly ripe avocado can induce mania and ecstasy. Forget drugs let's just do avocados. We have the best of avocados for you today, with one brilliant piece of advice on how to pick a good avocado, to smart tips on dicing and storing them. We revisit some of our favorite creative uses, from grilled guacamole to crispy avocado fries (fries! avocado FRIES!). There's ice cream, breakfast pudding, and the ultimate California BLT all featuring the glorious avocado.

How to quickly ripen an avocado.

Tips for Picking, Storing, and Using Avocados

How to Determine Whether an Avocado Is Perfectly Ripe Inside
The Best Way to Keep Cut Avocado Fresh!
To Quickly Ripen an Avocado, Use a Banana
A Surplus Of Avocados: Should We Freeze Them?
A Better Way to Dice an Avocado
Best Place to Store Avocados? In the Refrigerator
What's the Best Way to Remove the Pit From an Avocado?
What Is the Best Way to Store Half an Avocado?
How to Make Better Guacamole: Tips from Two Food Writers

Crispy, creamy avocado fries!

Surprising Avocado Ideas!

Healthy & Hearty Breakfast: Egg Baked In an Avocado
Yes, Adding Avocado to Scrambled Eggs Is a Very Good Idea
Backyard Party Idea: An Avocado Bar!
Baking Tip: Did You Know That You Can Substitute Avocado For Butter?
Must Try: Avocado Salad Dressing Bowls!
Look! Crispy, Creamy Avocado Fries
Have You Ever Roasted an Avocado?
Better Egg Salad: Add an Avocado, Use Less Mayonnaise

Scandinavian-Inspired Recipe: Avocado & Bacon Club Sandwich Cake

Avocado Recipes

3-Ingredient Avocado Ice Cream
Smoky Summer Recipe: Grilled Guacamole
Cilantro-Lime Sardine Salad in Avocado Halves
Avocado Breakfast Pudding
Avocado Hollandaise
Avocado Toast: Simply the Best Breakfast Ever?
Creamy, Tangy Avocado Dressing
Avocado and Grapefruit Salad
California BLT with Avocado and Basil Mayonnaise
Raw Avocado Cacao Mousse
Raw Avocado Lime Mousse
Creamy, Green, and Sweet: The Avocado Smoothie
Golden Quinoa Salad with Radish, Dill & Avocado

What are your favorite avocado tips, tricks, hints, and recipes?

Sweet, Easy & Raw Recipe: Avocado Cacao Mousse

Avocados at the source: Mexico Through the Avocado Lens

(Images: Leela Cyd Ross; Faith Durand; Dana Velden; Emma Christensen; Annabelle Breakey/Sunset Magazine; Patrice Berry of Circle B Kitchen)

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