Having read and written about food so much (and eaten so much) it’s rare for me to come across a food I’ve never even heard of before. But alas, that was the case with these little guys. These guys are called Feijoas, or sometimes Pineapple Guava.
As you can see they are about the size of a small lime with a skin of a similar texture. To eat one, simply slice it in half and scoop out the sour & sweet fruit. There are little cavities that hold the seeds in a jelly-like substance which is super-sweet. This is surrounded by a firmer flesh that is a little bit gritty, like a pear can be, and it has a bit of a sour taste. The combination of the two is a really unique taste and I’ve become a big fan of it quickly.
Feijoas are available at Giant Eagle supermarkets, so considering picking a few up your next time in. I bet it won’t be the last time you do.
Full disclosure: I did receive 4 of these guys, so I could describe their delicious flavor to you.
Tagged with: pineapple guava • tropical fruit
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June 13th, 2010 at 5:37 pm
You can also find them at Latino markets as “guayabas” as well as guayaba drinks (probably by Goya) at the same markets
June 17th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
I have seen these fruits, but do not know what to cook with them or eat as it is? Curious to know recipe, if any.
June 20th, 2010 at 10:42 am
They taste fantastic and they are part of wonderful memories of my childhood. There was a tree in my grandfather’s garden in South Italy he imported from Brazil and i enjoyed the fruits for years. Now i really miss feijoas, strangely i have never seen them in India though they are called pineapple guava, and in India we have lots of guavas and lots of pineapples, funny.
Very few people know about this delicious fruit, and i have to find a way to eat them again.
October 18th, 2010 at 9:16 pm
Since we’re discussing interesting tropical fruits, what about the Dragon Fruit (a member of the Cactus family native to central America and very big in southeast Asia)? I recently had Dragon Fruit (every morning!) on a business trip to China and wondered if it’s available anywhere in the greater Cleveland area.
This is an amazing looking fruit. My hotel, which had a killer breakfast buffet, had slices of Dragon fruit in with slices of various other melons. Dragon fruit is white, really totally snow white, with small edible black seeds, and has a mild melony / kiwi kind of flavor. The outer husk is magenta with “outcropping layers” (how do I describe it?) and it’s similar in size to a mango. Not that I’m willing to move heaven and earth and pay any price, but it might be cool to buy some locally if possible to show off to friends and relatives.
January 30th, 2011 at 10:31 am
Feijoas are the bomb. I grew up eating them by the ton, in New Zealand – mostly fresh (right off the bush, they’re so abundant that most Kiwis leave boxes of them out at the curb for anyone to take), or made into jam to be put on toast or eaten straight out of the jar (my preference). After 11 years in the US, in NY, I’ve only seen them here a handful of times (in King Kullen supermarkets, of all places) and they were about $1.75 each. Ouch. I paid it, though, and cleaned them out. They’re best fresh as the longer they ripen, the softer they get and they lose that appealing sourness and firm flesh.
Most excellent and accurate description of a pretty indescribable fruit!