Feijoas for Monique

Thanks for the question, Monique – the feijoa is really really hard to describe as far as the flavour is concerned, as it is very unique.  It has a ‘perfumey’ smell and this picture shows you what the flesh looks like inside (that’s one very perfect looking feijoa!!):

I even have a bottle of Feijoa flavoured Vodka in the freezer – and the smell is so much like the true Feijoa smell, it’s just scrummy! (although perhaps a taste that grows on you if you’re not used to it haha)

The information from Wikipedia states the following:

The Feijoa (Feijoa sellowiana, synonym Acca sellowiana), also known as Pineapple Guava or Guavasteen, is an evergreen shrub or small tree, 1-7 m in height, originating from the highlands of southern Brazil, parts of Colombia, Uruguay and northern Argentina. It has been spotted in Georgia and both flowering and fruiting in Lafayette, Louisiana and in Charleston, South Carolina. It is widely cultivated as a garden plant and fruiting tree in New Zealand.

The fruit matures in autumn and is green, ellipsoid-shaped and the size of a chicken egg. It has a sweet, aromatic flavor. The flesh is juicy and is divided into a clear jelly-like seed pulp and a firmer, slightly gritty opaque flesh nearer the skin. The fruit drops when ripe, but can be picked from the tree prior to the drop to prevent bruising. This plant is monotypic in its genus. Like the closely-related guava, the fruit pulp has a gritty texture which is utilized in some natural cosmetic products as an exfoliant. Feijoa fruit have a distinctive smell. The ester methyl benzoate smells strongly of feijoas and the aroma of the fruit is caused mostly by this and other closely related esters.