Avocado—The "Happiness Fruit," Taiwan's Version is Perfect for Avocado Milk

Once recognized by Guinness World Records as the most nutritious fruit for its body-friendly nutrients, the avocado found a passionate advocate in National Taiwan University horticulture professor Lin Pu, who dubbed it the delightful nickname "happiness fruit."

Native to Central and South America, avocados were introduced to Taiwan by botanists between 1902 and 1909 during Japanese rule. After multiple failed cultivation attempts, growers finally achieved success in 1922.

Only after the Japanese colonial period ended did the government continue importing and improving U.S. varieties, leading to the delicious avocados Taiwan enjoys today. Taiwan's avocado cultivars are divided into early, mid, and late varieties based on their production periods, with harvests running from May-June through March of the following year. Tainan serves as the primary growing region, and Taiwan now claims over 30 local avocado varieties.

Taiwan's Diced Avocados Drive European and American Consumers Wild

Unlike the oil-rich Hass avocados popular abroad—typically used in cooking or sliced for salads—Taiwan's avocados are lower in fat, higher in water content, and silky smooth in texture, making them perfect for beverages. The local variety became so celebrated that a Tainan legislator once promoted regional avocados right in the Legislative Yuan, blending fresh avocados with milk into creamy avocado smoothies. The media described the scene as "half the Legislative Yuan rushing over to try it."

According to foreign visitors to Taiwan: "Taiwan avocados have a uniquely sweet and fragrant flavor." This distinctive taste has prompted local farmers to export diced avocados overseas, with orders growing steadily each year from supermarkets in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

To sample Taiwan's homegrown avocados, your best bet is hunting through traditional wet markets during harvest season, where they're affordable, juicy, and deliciously sweet. Whether blended into creamy avocado milk drinks, sliced and dipped in soy sauce, or rolled into avocado sushi, you'll discover the exquisite flavors of Taiwan's exclusive "happiness fruit."