Meet Guangxi's elongated avocados you can peel like a banana

Lee esta noticia en español | 用中文阅读这个故事 

A novel type of avocado from China's Guangxi province has taken the internet by storm.  

It boasts a slender, cucumber-like shape, and it can be easily peeled by hand like a banana. The flesh is creamy and smooth, with a rich, buttery aroma. Described by locals as a "forest butter" ice cream that can be eaten straight, the fruit quickly went viral in China. 

Unlike the common round or oval versions on the market, this elongated variety from Guangxi is as slender as a banana, with individual fruits weighing over 17.6 ounces and reaching nearly a foot in length. That's roughly about three times the size of a regular avocado.

Once ripe, its thin, smooth skin allows it to be peeled effortlessly without tools. 

According to local reports, the flesh is a delicate orange-yellow, silky in texture, and almost completely free of the astringency typical of ordinary fruit, offering a refreshing sweetness with a strong milky fragrance. 

Additionally, its pit is small, resulting in an edible portion of between 85 and 90 percent, about 15 percent higher than that of common imported varieties.

A long time to make an elongated avocado

The variety originates from 69 years of selective breeding by the Guangxi South Asia Tropical Agricultural Science Research Institute. Cultivars such as Tenglong and Zijin have been granted national plant variety rights, successfully filling the gap in domestic early-to-mid-season varieties. 

Chinese media reports that in Longzhou, Chongzuo, Guangxi, this specialty elongated avocado is now cultivated on a large scale. 

Thanks to Longzhou’s warm climate, ample sunshine, and unique terrain and altitude conditions, the local growing cycle of the fruit is effectively extended, allowing the harvest season to last from September to February of the following year.

Notably, unlike most imported fruit, which are harvested at only 50 percent to 60 percent ripeness and then undergo long-distance transport and artificial ripening, this elongated avocado can be left on the tree until it reaches 80 percent to 90 percent ripeness before picking.

This allows the fruit to fully develop its flavor and nutrients, resulting in a denser, more aromatic taste.

After varietal improvement, the elongated version features a uniform shape, bright skin color, and overall quality that is in no way inferior to high-end imported avocados. When cut in half, the orange-yellow flesh exudes a subtle creamy aroma, offering a soft, velvety texture and rich, layered flavor.

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