A superior gourmet avocado with rich buttery flavor and a smooth creamy texture, Hawaii Sharwil is the world’s best avocado. Or so Sharwil growers — recognizing that taste a subjective matter — firmly believe.
Sharwil constitutes a majority of Hawaii’s commercial avocado production — primarily from orchards on the Big Island. Sharwil is believed to be a cross between Mexican and Guatemalan avocado varieties and is ideally suited to the soil and climate conditions of Hawaii. On Rancho Aloha and on many other Kona farms, Sharwil avocados are interplanted with coffee.
Unfortunately, those of you on the US mainland are unable to purchase Hawaii Sharwil because current USDA restrictions prohibit the untreated shipment to the continental US. The ostensible reason is the risk of fruit flies for mainland agriculture, but politics is far more of a factor, with Calavo (the California Avocado association) seeking to avoid competition and exercising its political clout with the USDA. Tree-harvested Sharwil are, in fact, either a very poor or a non-host for fruit flies. Wintertime export of Sharwil to northern-tier states would pose no substantial risk to mainland agriculture.
The Hawaii Avocado Association is working with the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and US Senator for Hawaii Dan Inouye’s office to open access for Sharwils to mainland markets. In the meantime, please sample Sharwil avocados on your next trip to Kona — and let us know if you agree with our assessment of its superb quality. The Sharwil season in West Hawaii generally runs from December to June.
To learn more, watch this informational video on Hawaii avocados (with views of Rancho Aloha!).