Creamy / rich / Perfect on toast
Gwen avocados look similar to the hass variety, but are slightly larger. They are oval and plump with thick green skins that have a pebbled texture and turn dull green when the fruit is fully ripe. They have creamy gold-green flesh around a small to medium seed.
The Gwen variety was developed in UC Riverside variety trials by Professor Grey E. Martin. Ungrafted avocado trees planted from a seed will not produce fruit similar to the mother seed; it will produce either no fruit or varying amounts of something different. In order for an avocado tree to predictably produce decent amounts of Hass fruit, it needs to be grafted, using a cutting from another producing Hass tree. This avocado seed-tree randomness, however, opens an opportunity for developing new varieties.
In Grey E Martins' variety trials, a chance Hass seedling grew into a promising fruit producing tree that was patented as the Thille variety. Later, Thille seeds were planted. One of them produced the Gem, which Professor Martin named after his initials. Another produced the Gwen, named after his wife.
It's round with a pebbly skin that stays green when it ripens; it doesn't darken like its Hass grandmother or Gem sister. It ripens beautifully and can be pleasingly sliced & bit into over a greater firmness/softness range. What it means is that even when a Gwen feels a little too firm to use right away, it tends to magically transform to the optimum texture as it is bitten into. It's flavor and texture are perfect. And, once cut into, it stays bright green for longer than any other variety that I'm aware of; it oxidizes very slowly. In short, not only is it super delicious, but also very easy to use & prepare for both line & home cooks alike.