What’s Good About A Guava ...
Guavas are said to be one of the best fruits available and that’s because they are not only a very rich source of vitamin C (a guava contains more of this vitamin than a typical citrus fruit – the rind contains over five times more vitamin C than an orange!), they also contain high amounts of calcium – which is unusual in a fruit.
A fresh guava fruit is also a valuable source of vitamin A and B, nicotinic acid, phosphorous, potassium, iron, folate and is high in fibre. Coupled with all these vitamins and minerals (I’m feeling healthy just writing about it!) guavas are also low in fat and calories, with only about 25 calories per fruit ...
To top all this talk of health off, guava fruit are said to help lower cholesterol, protect your heart and are good for your immune system ... what more could you ask for!
Usually things packed with all this goodness are found within something that tastes really bad, but with the guava it’s actually the opposite ...
What's It All About ...
As you can see, the guava is very similar in looks to a small pear or apple – in fact it’s often called the poor man’s apple of the tropics. Available in a range of varieties, the pink guava which I tried had a thin, yellowish-green skin which concealed a very deep pink flesh soft enough to eat with a spoon. Other varieties which you might see can have a skin anything from yellow in colour through to purple-black, with the flesh ranging from a creamy white to a bright red.
What’s really distinctive about the guava – even before you cut it open – is its really strong, sweet fragrance. After I bought is and took it home with the rest of my shopping in the car, the fragrance was almost overbearing. And even now, whilst I’m still eating the fruit its fragrance is able to fill the whole room ...
And finally the taste. Its flesh has a grainy texture just like a pear, but there are three distinctive parts of the guava – all of which can be eaten:
the thin, outer rind – which I think leaves something of an after taste but does contain lots of vitamin C – so if you can eat it, do (IT’S GOOD FOR YOU ...)
the firm, inner flesh – a distinctive layer just within the rind which is almost identical in texture to a pear
the soft, central section – containing hard little seeds (which you can eat) surrounded by a softer, stringy flesh – a little but like strawberry (in taste – although not as sweet and the seeds are much more noticeable as you eat them) or tomato (in texture). I like this part the most – and it’s easy to scoop out with a spoon ... yummy.
What’s The Use ...
Although I ate my guava raw, you’ll also find guavas being used to create purified juice and drinks, in desserts (its aroma makes it really useful for flavouring sherbet and ice cream) and in fruit salad. Guavas are also popular for making jams and preserves, together with sauces and dressings.
And finally .. you can finish off your evening with a guava martini … shaken, not stirred I guess ...
