Chinene: the giant avocado of Veracruz

What is it?

Chinene is one of the most surprising and least-known fruits of the avocado family: an enormous fruit, shaped like an elongated pear, that can measure between twenty and forty centimetres long and weigh up to two kilograms, with thin wrinkled skin of dark green to almost black on ripening, and yellowish or orange flesh, soft, fibrous, with a flavour that combines that of the common avocado with sweeter, slightly almond-like notes and a vegetal touch. The central seed is large, oval and dark. It belongs to the same genus as the common avocado (Persea), so it is considered a true avocado, although with very different characteristics from the Hass or criollo variety. It is one of the most representative fruits of Veracruz, where it is also known as aguacate de monte, aguacate cimarron or giant criollo avocado. It is traditionally eaten fresh, in slices with salt and lime, in guacamole, in cold soups and in traditional preparations from Veracruz, Oaxaca and Puebla, especially in regions where the tree grows wild or cultivated in backyards.

Origin and history

Chinene is native to Mesoamerica, particularly the humid mountainous tropical regions of southeastern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and parts of Central America, where its use has been documented since pre-Hispanic times. The name chinene comes from the Nahuatl chichinene or chinen, a word used by the Nahuas of central-southern Mexico to distinguish this giant avocado variety from the more common varieties. Fray Bernardino de Sahagun in the Florentine Codex and Francisco Hernandez in his Natural History of New Spain, both of the 16th century, document several species and varieties of the genus Persea, including chinene. Botanically it is Persea schiedeana, a different species from the common avocado (Persea americana), although both belong to the same genus and can hybridise under natural conditions. Chinene was traditionally grown in Mesoamerican agroforestry systems and maintained a regional presence, but never reached the global spread of the Hass avocado. During the 20th and 21st centuries, chinene has remained as a regional crop of Veracruz, Oaxaca, Puebla, Chiapas and Tabasco, present in local markets and family backyards. CONABIO documents Persea schiedeana as a native species of great biocultural and agroforestry importance, particularly in the Veracruz cloud forest. Researchers such as Margarita Carmona Martinez have studied the potential of chinene as an under-utilised crop of agricultural interest.

Characteristic ingredients

Chinene is Persea schiedeana, an evergreen tree of the family Lauraceae that can reach thirty metres in height, with shiny elliptical leaves and small greenish-yellow flowers. The fruit is harvested when it has reached its full size and the skin begins to darken; it ripens at room temperature in a few days, similar to the common avocado. It is ready when the flesh yields to gentle pressure. The flesh contains healthy monounsaturated fats (like the common avocado, but in lower proportion), vitamin E, vitamin K, potassium, dietary fibre and antioxidants. Unlike the Hass avocado, chinene flesh is more fibrous, less creamy and sweeter, with almond and vegetal notes reminiscent of a cross between avocado and sweet potato. Regional varieties vary in flavour, texture and size, with some closer to the common avocado and others sweeter and more fibrous. To prepare, halve it lengthwise, remove the large seed and scoop the flesh with a spoon or slice it. Traditional culinary uses include: fresh slices with salt, lime and chilli, similar to the common avocado; regional guacamoles (with a distinctive flavour); cold soups, avocado-cream style; an accompaniment to tortillas with beans and cheese; in tamales, breads and sweet desserts (thanks to its sweeter profile compared with the common avocado). In some regions of Veracruz it is prepared in sweet-and-sour versions and combined with tropical fruits.

Cultural significance

Chinene is part of the biocultural heritage of the Mexican cloud forest and an emblem of the diversity of the avocado family, one of Mesoamerica's most important contributions to world cuisine. It is an identity ingredient of the sierra cuisine of Veracruz (especially Coatepec, Xico and Misantla), and appears in regional festivities and local markets. Traditional Mexican cuisine, inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010, includes native fruits and avocados as part of its essential components. Economically, chinene supports small rural producers in mountainous tropical regions and plays an important ecological role as a shade tree in coffee plantations and other agroforestry systems, offering birds and mammals an abundant food source. CONABIO and SADER (gob.mx) have highlighted the potential of chinene as a food-security crop and one for sustainable use in marginal regions. In contemporary Mexican cuisine, chefs such as Erik Guerrero (in Veracruz) and Margarita Carrillo Arronte have rediscovered chinene, incorporating it into signature menus as one of Mexico's great forgotten fruits. Its culinary versatility, similar to the common avocado but with a sweeter profile, offers unique possibilities in sweet and savoury cooking that are only just beginning to be explored.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between chinene and the common avocado?

Both are Persea but different species. Chinene (Persea schiedeana) has much larger fruits (up to two kilos), with yellowish-orange flesh, fibrous and sweet with almond notes. The common avocado (Persea americana) includes varieties such as Hass and criollo, with smaller fruits, green-yellowish flesh, creamy and with a more neutral and fatty flavour. Chinene has less fat than the common avocado and is sweeter.

What does chinene taste like?

It has a flavour that combines the common avocado with sweeter, slightly almond-like notes and a sweet-potato vegetal touch. The texture is more fibrous and less creamy than the Hass avocado, similar to a large criollo avocado but sweeter. The aroma is mild but perfumed, without the intense buttery notes of the Hass. Its unique profile makes it ideal for both savoury and sweet preparations, where the common avocado does not work well.

How is chinene served?

Fresh, it is sliced and eaten with salt, lime and chilli, similar to the common avocado. It is also prepared in regional guacamoles (with a distinctive flavour), cream-style cold soups, as an accompaniment to tacos, tlacoyos and memelas with beans and cheese, and, thanks to its sweeter profile, in tamales, breads and regional Veracruz desserts. In contemporary cuisine, chefs use it in sweet-and-sour versions, ice creams and combinations with tropical fruits.

Where is chinene originally from?

It is native to Mesoamerica, particularly the humid mountainous tropical regions of southeastern Mexico (Veracruz, Oaxaca, Puebla, Chiapas, Tabasco) and Central America, where its use has been documented since pre-Hispanic times in sources such as Sahagun and Francisco Hernandez. The name comes from the Nahuatl chichinene. Its cultivation has been maintained in Mesoamerican agroforestry systems without reaching the global spread of the Hass avocado.