Hass (avocado)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hass is a cultivar of avocado with dark-colored, bumpy skin. It is correctly pronounced like "hassle", not the commonly misspelled "Haas".

It is the most important avocado in the commercial market worldwide. In the United States, it accounts for more than 80% of the avocado crop, and it is also the most widely grown avocado in New Zealand.

It produces a medium-sized fruit, weighing 200-300 g. The skin turns a dark, purplish-black when ripe, while the skin of "green" cultivars remains green. When ripe, it yields to gentle pressure; soft avocados are generally considered over-ripe and possibly rancid.

All Hass avocado trees are related to a single "Mother Tree" which was purchased as a seedling from A. R. Rideout of Whittier, California, by a Whittier, California, mail carrier named Rudolph Hass. In 1926, Hass planted the seedling at his 6.5 ha (16 acre) grove on West Road in La Habra Heights, California, and patented the tree in 1935. All Hass avocados can be traced back to grafts made from that tree. The "Mother Tree" died of root rot in 2002.

[edit] References

• Farcry: Avocado cultivar data