Avocados have become a staple in just about everyone’s life. From avocado toast to guacamole, we simply couldn’t live without them. We could live without the price tag that comes with them though. What if I told you that a new variety of avocado is in the process of being created, it costs less, and is more abundant? It’s your lucky day because the Luna avocado is in the early stages of development and will be beneficial to your taste buds — and your bank account.
What is the Luna avocado?
The University of California, Riverside (UCR), has released the new variety of avocado, the Luna UCR. The Luna avocado differs from a regular avocado in a few ways, but especially in where and how it’s grown. The Luna tree is very tall and narrow and has the ability to produce more fruit than your average Hass tree per cubic meter. It is also easier to tell when it is ripe, as it will turn black when ready to eat.
In contrast, the Hass tree, which produces the avocados you know, takes up more space and is harder to harvest. Due to its large size, it is more susceptible to sunburn (who knew avocados got sunburnt), making the avocados not as enjoyable, but, yet, still extremely expensive.
What do the Luna avocados taste like?
These avocados do taste different than the Hass variety, but only ever so slightly. In an interview with Axios, the co-inventor of the Luna, Mary Lu Arpaia, said that “the main difference is texture.” The Hass is usually very creamy, but the Luna is more smooth than creamy. The Luna peel is thicker than your standard grocery store avocado and has a smoother skin.
Where you can get the Luna avocados
Sadly, these new avocados aren’t quite ready yet. UCR has released statements saying it can take anywhere between 15 and 20 years to develop a brand new avocado. The tree itself takes anywhere between three and five years to produce fruit, so we have to be patient as we wait for the tree to start producing.
In other avocado news…
In the meantime, Chipotle has announced a new avocado processing collaborative robot prototype called Autocado. This robot cuts, cores, and peels avocados before being hand-mashed by a team member to create Chipotle’s famous guac. The popular chain restaurant is partnering with Vebu, a product development company that works with food industry leaders to create technology solutions to build the robot.
How does the Autocado work?
A Chipotle team member loads the Autocado with a case of avocados, holding up to 25 pounds of avocados at once. One at a time, the avocados are transferred to the processing device. Each avocado is sliced in half, the core and skin are removed, and the waste is discarded. The fruit is then collected in a big bowl, and a team member adds in key ingredients to mash up the perfect guacamole. Once the Luna avocado is out on the town, the restaurant will be saving ample amounts of money, and time.
With both the Luna and the Autocado being created, interest in avocados will most definitely skyrocket, yet again. Avocados will never go out of style.