THE world may be collapsing about the place but avocado lovers have been assured their supply won't be interupted with the Shepard variety coming into production.
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The marketing arm of the industry, Australian Avocados, released information on the variety which it says fill the gap while local Hass avocados are not available, despite them sometimes being a "misunderstood fruit".
"While the typical Hass variety darkens as it ripens and is the go-to avo for smashing, the skin of a Shepard stays glossy green when ripe, its flesh doesn't brown when cut and is ideal for slicing," Australian Avocados said.
The organisation has recruited chef and cookbook author, Luke Hines, to encourage Aussies to embrace the arrival of Shepards by learning how to choose and use them correctly.
"Even though we are the highest consumers of avocados per capita in the English-speaking world, we seem to be really confused about the humble Shepard," Mr Hines said.
New YouGov Galaxy research from February this year, showed 20 per cent of Millennials struggled to identify when Shepard avocados were ripe.
Futhermore, despite their reputation as avo-lovers, more than a third of (37pc) millennials have never actually tried a Shepard avocado.
"As the skin doesn't change colour, picking a ripe Shepard can be confusing. But there is a simple trick to choosing the perfect one every time - instead of looking at the skin give your Shepard avocado a gentle press near the top," Mr Hines said.
"If it gives a little, it's ripe. If it's not ready keep it on the bench for one to three days."
Mr Hines, who is known for his health-conscious cooking, admits he eats the fruit every day due to its impressive health benefits.
He said the secret for a "spectacular Shepard experience" was knowing fruit's strengths.
"Like all avocados, Shepards are an all-round health star. A single serve can keep your immune system fighting fit, boost your energy and enhance brain power," he said.
"With all the confusion out there, my advice is to understand that Shepards are different to Hass.
"The trick is knowing how to choose and then best prepare Shepard avocados - sliced and diced."
Other data from the YouGov Galaxy report showed Victorians were more likely to be Shepard supporters, with three in 10 buying Shepard avocados regularly when they were available.
While the majority of Australians (87pc) are aware of Hass avocados, Shepard avocados are not as well known, with only 77pc aware of the green skin variety.
