Australians are expressing frustration at finding themselves in the “worst season of the year”, when Shepard avocados are more available than the popular Hass variety.
Hass avocados are in season in Australia from May to January, while Shepards are in season from February to April with production peaking in March.
Avocado lovers are up in arms during Shepard season, with some calling the fruit variety “inferior” for its “waxy” texture.
A shopper has accused a supermarket of “rebranding” Shepard avocados to make them more attractive.
A Coles customer noticed that the underripe Shepards in the fresh produce section had stickers saying “Green Skinned Avocados.”
One shopper accused supermarkets of “rebranding” unpopular Shepard avocados, which are now in season, to make them more attractive to customers.
“I see through your weak attempt to rebrand the Shepard avocado… Worst time of the year,” they said on a Reddit. mail.
Shepard avocados are lighter in color and have a firmer texture compared to Hass, which has a softer, “crushable” interior with a creamier flavor.
Hass accounted for 83 percent of annual avocado production in 2021/22 in Australia, while Shepards only accounted for 14 percent according to the ABC.
While Hass avos are the most marketed variety in the world, Shepard are only grown commercially in Australia.
The Coles buyer’s discovery sparked heated debate among Australian avocado enthusiasts.
“Shepard’s, the poor cousin of the Hass,” said one foodie and another joked, “Shepard tastes like avocado AI.”
‘Oh no, is it that time of year again? Simply the worst,’ commented a third.
One person called the Shepard avocados “firm and rubbery” and while another laughed, they were still waiting for theirs from last year to ripen.
Others pointed out that ‘Green Skin Avocados’ was the name of the supplier and not the variety.
But not everyone was on Team Hass, and some admitted they prefer Shepard avocados.
‘I used to hate them, but if you handle them and age them properly they are great. It doesn’t fade so quickly, firm and very tasty meat,” explained one user.
‘I like Hass, but they get weird, bruised and soft too easily. Shepherds are almost always spotless on the inside,” noted a second.
“No avocado is better than Shepard,” a third shared.