Avocado in Northern Cyprus — price, benefits, season, and selection

This article compiles key facts about avocado in Northern Cyprus — its price, benefits, harvest season, and how to choose a ripe fruit. Below you will find a convenient navigation menu.

• Price and where to buy
• Nutritional value of avocado
• Sugar content and GI
• Health benefits of avocado
• Best time to buy
• How to choose a ripe avocado

Winter in Northern Cyprus is the season for fresh avocado. Although many consider it a fruit or a vegetable, botanically avocado is a berry, and one of the most nutritious and beneficial among those available on the island.

Price and where to buy

In Northern Cyprus, avocados are usually sold individually, especially during the season. The average price is about 50 Turkish Lira per fruit. Local varieties are also found in markets, characterized by a more buttery texture and rich flavor.

Nutritional value of avocado

A fresh fruit contains:

• healthy fats (mostly monounsaturated),

• 20 types of vitamins, including A, C, E, K, and B-complex vitamins,

• minerals: potassium, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, manganese,

• a large amount of fiber.

Despite the high fat content, avocado remains a low-calorie food: it satiates quickly and for a long time, making it a popular choice in dietary nutrition.

Sugar content and glycemic index

Avocado belongs to the category of low glycemic index foods, making it suitable for people monitoring blood sugar levels.

• Half a fruit (about 68 g) contains only 0.5 g of sugar
  (glucose, fructose, and galactose in small amounts).

For this reason, avocado can be included in diets for diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and carbohydrate-controlled eating plans.

Health benefits of avocado

For weight loss

Avocado:

• satiates quickly,

• reduces cravings for sweets,

• stabilizes blood sugar levels,

• improves metabolism.

Nutritionists often recommend a light dinner of 1–2 avocados combined with:

• cottage cheese,

• eggs,

• yogurt,

• greens or citrus fruits.

Such a dinner is nutritious but does not overload the body with carbohydrates before sleep.

For enhancing potency

Avocado is considered a natural aphrodisiac due to its content of:

• vitamin E,

• folic acid,

• potassium,

• healthy fats.

One avocado per day is enough to support hormonal balance, improve blood circulation, and positively affect sexual function.

For heart health

High potassium and monounsaturated fat content helps to:

• reduce “bad” cholesterol,

• strengthen the cardiovascular system,

• lower the risk of hypertension.

For skin and hair

Thanks to vitamins E and C, avocado:

• improves skin condition,

• accelerates regeneration,

• helps with dryness and flaking.

Best time to buy avocado in Cyprus

The season for local avocado begins in late autumn and continues throughout winter, sometimes extending into early spring. During this period, the fruits are the tastiest, fattest, and most affordable.

How to choose a ripe avocado

• Press gently on the skin — it should be firm but yielding.

• The stem attachment area should be light green.

• Overly soft avocado may be overripe.

Cypriots often buy several avocados at different ripeness levels so that the fruits ripen gradually.