CITRUS-freshness with a hint of green banana; it sounds more like a wine description than that of a fruit.
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Delcados, the marketing name for avocados from Delroy Orchards, Pemberton, WA, have marked their 2022 season by highlighting the special flavour with some assistance from a culinary mind.
According Delroy Orchards, the avocados are "slow-grown and spend 12 to 16 months maturing on the tree to develop their unique taste and then delivered to stores as quickly as possible to ensure maximum freshness".
Launched two years ago, Delcados have established a solid fan base in the west.
Mr Best has shared his Delcado tasting notes and a "bespoke flavour wheel".
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Applying the same principles used for tasting wine or coffee, Ms Best's Delcado flavour wheel aims to help avo-lovers pinpoint the fruit's distinctive taste, aroma and texture.
"This season's Delcado has a lovely, buttery texture and an aroma almost like a lime going into green cashews," he said.
"Just the freshness of it is incredible.
"On the palate, a Delcado has citrus notes that evolve into a slight hint of green banana. There's a bit of an acid finish, which complements the richness of the oils - it is absolutely delicious."
Mr Best said by decoding the complex flavour profile, consumers can up their avocado repertoire, beyond smashed avo on toast.
"This allows me to make delicious and unusual ingredient pairings like locally grown apples, honey, truffles or wild caught marron," he said.
Pemberton, largely known for its timber and giant Karri trees, is emerging as a food hub for truffles, apples, wine and kiwi fruit.
The dry, hot summers and winter rainfall in also create the perfect conditions for growing avocados.
Russell Delroy and his wife Jenny planted their first avocado trees in Pemberton in 1988, starting with five hectares.
Today the orchard has more than 340 hectares and around 190,000 avocado trees.
Yield set to be smaller
SECOND generation avocado grower and Delroy Orchards farm manager Suzie Delroy said for 30 years her family has been perfecting the slow-growing process which was used to nurture Delcados.
"The ideal climate here in Pemberton allows us to leave our Delcados on the trees for almost twice as long as other avocados," Ms Delroy said.
"The slow-growing provides time for the natural oils in the fruit to mature and for the Delcado to soak in the goodness from the rich Karri loam soil and pristine surrounds. Nothing tastes like them.
"Our orchard is a pretty special spot and that shines through in the quality of our Delcados."
Delcado avocados began arriving on supermarket shelves from mid-October with the season set to last until the end of January.
"After last year's bumper crop, this season will be a smaller season," Ms Delroy said.
"We're expecting to hand-pick around 27 million Delcados, that's enough to satisfy everyone's Delcado cravings through the Christmas break and for most of the summer."
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