Avocados are highly-consumed and popular fruits in many kitchens. This stone fruit is considered a staple of Latin and California cuisine. For your restaurant to be successful, you need to include avocados in offerings on your menu.

Growing avocado is relatively easy in the right climate, providing you with the freshest avocado fruit for your kitchen. If you don't have the space or a green thumb to grow your own, buy avocados directly from avocado distributors, avocado importers and avocado growers. To find the best avocado distributors in the US, you should:

1. Peruse your recipes to determine the volume of avocados you will need for the dishes on your menu.

2. Find reputable avocado brokers in your area for the freshest avocados at the best price.

3. Purchase avocados in bulk or wholesale to save money and help clear inventory from avocado farmers.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Pick the avocado varieties you use most in your kitchen

There are many varieties of avocado, the Hass being regarded as the best. The variety of avocado you choose to use in your dish should depend on the intensity of the avocado flavor you want in the dish. Avocados are high in healthy fats and are nutrient rich. They are a perfect addition to salads, hamburgers, sandwiches and many other dishes.

I recommend: Healthy Recipes for more information on the many varieties and history of the avocado. For free avocado recipes click the link on the avocado information page. The University of California Agriculture & Natural Resources Department offers information on avocado history, varieties and uses.

Find reputable avacado brokers

The best place to find the highest quality avacados is at a local farmer's market or avacado grower in your area. Another option, especially if you want more control over the quality, size and flavors of the avacado is to plant avocado trees and grow them yourself.

I recommend: Calavo Growers, known as the First Name in Avocados, offers a large variety of avocados and other produce. They have sales materials as well making pricing easy for resale if you choose to do that. Old Julian Avocado Co. is an avocado gift service that also offers bulk quantities of avocados.

Purchase wholesale avocados to save money

To save money on avocados, purchase them wholesale. This is especially good if you need large quantities of avacados, need an assortment of varieties, or want to split the cost between two restaurants. Many wholesalers will offer you loyalty or advance ordering discounts also.

I recommend: Giammanco & Sons Produce has been around since 1905 and offers a huge variety of produce including avocados. With one-stop shopping, high quality avocados and shipping to anywhere in the country, this is one of the best produce distributors in the US. Will's Avocados offers a professional chef box, perfect in quantity and quality for the restaurant chef. It can be delivered or shipped fresh to you.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  To prep an avocado, first use a sharp knife to cut through the skin and flesh dragging the knife around the pit. Take the knife out and twist to pop the two halves apart. In one swift move, put the blade into the pit and twist to pop it out. Use a spoon to take the skin from the flesh.