Antillano — The Avocado That Gave the Whole Family Its Name

Avocados are classified into three botanical races — Mexican, Guatemalan, and West Indian — and "Antillano" is the actual name of that third group, domesticated in the Maya lowlands long before European contact and adapted specifically to hot, humid, coastal climates. That heritage shows in the fruit: large, sometimes reaching close to a kilo, with thin, smooth, fragile skin quite unlike the thick, pebbly texture of a Hass. The flesh has noticeably less oil than Mexican or Guatemalan-type avocados, which gives it a lighter, more watery texture and a milder, almost delicate flavour rather than the dense richness people usually associate with avocado. That's not a downside so much as a different use case — it's genuinely refreshing in a way heavier varieties aren't, and it slices cleanly for dishes where you want avocado's texture without it dominating the plate. Because the skin is thin and fragile, handle it a little more gently than a thicker-skinned variety.