India’s Avocado Awakening

It first surfaced on toasts Its health benefits were listed all over the internet Then tips on how to ripen it popped up Memes followed Soon enough vendors in wet markets began selling a single piece for over R120Avocados have been enjoying the spotlight for some years now In 2017 avocado toasts flew from Australia to menus in the West and gradually to India Almost everyone was eating one for breakfast and still doesThe exotic fruit continues to enjoy virality on social media and has a dedicated emoji Now that itrsquos available on every other menu it is the most expensive street food item From simple avocado toasts to avocado sushi rolls yes street sushi for R250 in Kandivli and even an avocado thecha vada pav R150 for vada pav really itrsquos everywhere And itrsquos not going away anytime soonAbout a year ago Kalakar a sandwich stall in Surat went viral for its R400 avocado toast Soon after Healthy Affair launched in Vadodara ldquoAvocado toast is popular for being tasty and healthy but cafeacutes here priced it too highrdquo says Himani Fadadu cofounder of Healthy Affair Offering classic guacamole toast on brown bread or sourdough for R150 two slices their street cart quickly went viral within two days of openingIn Mumbai Oh Bambai a vada pav eatery in Ghatkopar now temporarily closed adds avocado slices to their vada pav along with thecha Meanwhile in Andheri Mewalal Pasta and Salads keeps it simple with a menu for college kids and gymgoers ldquoWe started with salads to attract gymgoers but customers began asking for avocado toast so we added itrdquo says Vishal Gupta who runs the roadside stall with his brother VikasDespite avocados costing around R100 each the fruit has gone from gourmet to gully Street vendors say the demand justifies the price ldquoWe use Hass ones from a local supplier and prices have dropped slightly to R150R180 per kilordquo says Fadadu who once paid R200R250 per kilo Gupta however uses an Italian variety that costs him R590 a kiloThe Hass avocado grown in Mexico Peru the USA and Australia dominates Indiarsquos market due to its consistency and rich creamy texture Known for high oil content around 18 per cent Hass is perfect for guacamole salads and sandwiches Its pearshaped body and rough skin transitions from green to black when ripe encasing a smooth bright green interior ldquoMost chefs have made it their favourite variety because they ripen consistently and have a thick skin reducing bruisingrdquo say chefs Ebaani Tewari and Mathew Varghese of Kari Apla Khar Fadadu adds ldquoWe tried using local varieties from Kodaikanal and Kerala but they were too fibrous for smoothies and bruised easily leading to more wasterdquoHarsh Godha has imported over 18000 plants and planted his first orchard of Ettinger variety which began fruiting in just 18 monthsIn South India varieties from Sri Lanka have been cultivated for decades mainly on coffee estates where locals call them ldquobutter fruitrdquo However their shape and taste differ significantly from the ones we commonly use today ldquoButter fruit has always been available in Coorg but nobody paid much attention to them as coffee was the focus Now growers sell to Bengaluru and Mysorerdquo explains Chef Naveen AlvaresThe Central Horticultural Experiment Station in Chettalli has experimented with over 30000 varieties successfully grafting the Arka Supreme and Arka Coorg Ravi for local farmers Similarly in Bhopal Harshit Godha founded Indo Israel Avocado after craving the quality he enjoyed in the UK ldquoWhenever I came back to India I would find poor quality avocados from Kodaikanal which were very watery in texturerdquo he recalls Frustrated he pursued training in Israel learning to grow Hasslike avocados in hot climates By 2021 he had imported over 18000 plants and planted his first orchard of the Ettinger variety which began fruiting in just 18 monthsIn Chikkamagaluru Kerehaklu Plantation has been growing seven avocado varieties since the 1980s supplying Choquette buttery with notes of a custard apple and Zutano nutty flavour like an almond to local restaurants However Godha notes that Hass avocados are preferred for their postharvest handling and long shelf lifeIndian varieties may not enjoy a similar glamorous career abroad Pranoy Thipaiah of Kerehaklu cites challenges in exporting Indian varieties to major cities stating ldquoProducers are also unaware of how to handle the fruit We have tree climbers while some orchards shake the trees to harvest the fruit so they bruiserdquoOwners and brothers Vikas Gupta L and Vishal Gupta R making avocado toast at their stall in Andheri East PICSHADAB KHANSo is anyone eating the humble Indian avocado Chefs in the South certainly are ldquoDuring the season we use the Arka Coorg Ravi which grows locallyrdquo says Chef Prince J executive chef of Evolve Back Chikkana Halli Estate Coorg The estate focuses on local produce leading to innovative dishes such as avocado chutney stuffed kulchas savoury muffins paniyaram idli and ice cream ldquoThe Arka Coorg Ravi is round with a yellowpale flush and its pulp is rich in protein making it ideal for Indian cuisinerdquo he adds Chef Alvares who incorporates Coorgi avocados into traditional dishes such as palya and moru curry notes ldquoThe beauty of Indian avocado is that it doesnrsquot fall until ripe so when it does itrsquos perfectly readyrdquoEbaani Tewari and Mathew VargheseHowever the popular Hass variety also complements Indian cuisine as seen in dishes like Kari Aplarsquos Purple Cabbage Koshimbir with Avocado and Avocado Thecha Chefs Tiwari and Varghese explain ldquoWe wanted to bring something fresh and exciting to our menu and avocado fit the bill perfectly Itrsquos versatile and healthy so we thought why not give it a regional twistrdquoNaveen Alvares and Harshit GodhaWhat will it take for Indian varieties to gain traction Thipaiah suggests ldquoWe must change the perception that they are inferior just as we have elevated coffee and cacao I understand chefs need consistency so we must connect the dotsrdquo With entrepreneurs such as Godha leading the way therersquos hope that Indiangrown avocados will become popular someday ldquoMy farm is only 45 acres but once we have largerscale farms the Indian industry will start receiving good quality avocados from reliable sourcesrdquo he concludesRs 400For an avocado toast at a streetstall in Surat