Tags
42 Below, Feijoa, food, Fruit, Ice Cream, New Zealand, Pineapple Guava, Thomas Dux

Feijoa
(image from here)
Feijoa: (the fruit) maturing in autumn, is green, ellipsoid, and about the size of a chicken egg. It has a sweet, aromatic flavor. The flesh is juicy and is divided into a clear gelatinous seed pulp and a firmer, slightly granular, opaque flesh nearer the skin. (Wikipedia)
Today, I’m feeling a little nostalgic. It’s LM’s fault, only he doesn’t know it. He took me to Thomas Dux this morning, and they had feijoas! I was almost beside myself (and not because they were $1.50 each!) This news quite possibly means nothing to you, unless you happen to be a Kiwi living in Australia. Kiwis grow up with feijoas. It’s quite common to have a feijoa tree or two in your garden. I’ll even go out on a limb and say that in New Zealand, they are more common than kiwifruit (when in season). When I was visiting a couple of weeks ago, I bought a bag of about 15 perfectly ripe feijoas for $3 at the farmers market. I ate them all myself. I love them. But in Australia, they are as rare as hens teeth.

Feijoa
(Image from here)
Are you familiar with feijoas?
They are also known as Pineapple Guavas (or Guavasteen). According to our friends at Wikipedia, the plant “is an evergreen shrub originating from the highlands of southern Brazil, parts of Colombia, Uruguay, Paraguay and northern Argentina. They are also grown throughout Azerbaijan , Georgia and, (of course), New Zealand.*
While distinctive, the flavour is seriously difficult to describe. Wiki’ says it “is aromatic, very strong and complex, inviting comparison with guava, strawberry, pineapple, and often containing a faint wintergreen-like aftertaste.” LM hates the flavour, with quite some passion. And, it is true, people do tend to either love or hate feijoas.
Feijoas. They’re like chokos**, only not as tasty! (LM)
Given their exorbitant cost here, I only bought two this morning. And, I made sure I enjoyed every last morsel of feijoa flesh that I scraped out with my teaspoon. Heaven.

42 Below Feijoa Vodka
(Image from here)
In New Zealand, there’s a whole cottage industry around feijoas. You can buy feijoa ice cream. 42 Below has a yummy feijoa infused vodka. There are recipes galore for chutneys and baked goods.
If LM was just a touch more open to the wonders of the feijoa, I might make him this wee number I found at Adventurous Me, Gluten Free…

Feijoa Cream Coconut Pie
(Image and recipe can be found here)
I’ll leave you with this illustration I found on the inter-web…
* Apparently, feijoas are occasionally to be found as landscape plants in the far Southern United States, in regions from Texas to Florida, and southern California, though fruit set can be unreliable in those locations.
**Also known as chayote
Delicious shots of this lovely little fruit.
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🙂
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I just tried something called a Guava Apple today, it looks something like this, it might be the same thing but I’m not sure because it came already sliced..! But I do like it… quite exotic..
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They are different, LXAX – but both exotic!
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Looks yum. Bought back memories of my excitement at finding a pomello in sainsburys supermarket when i was in the UK which is a cross between an orange and a grapefruit and are about three times the size of a grapefruit! My friend thought I was a loon, until they tasted them!
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LM thinks I am a loon for liking feijoas!
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🙂
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I have to ask Cap’n Firepants if he knows anything about these since they can be found in Texas.
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Do let me know if you have any luck. They are worth hunting down at least once to see if you like ’em, SSFAM – quite a unique flavour
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TSL – Great post! Beautiful photos of a fruit that, to Americans at least, is quite exotic. Now I need to go out and hunt for some – given that you have me inspired!
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J – do let me know if you find them?
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Cannot recall ever try feijoas but every Kiwi I know raves about them 🙂
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That’s because they are so YUMMO!!!
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I don’t think I have ever heard of these… that pie sure looks good though!
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You’ll just have to visit NZ, LTPCA! The perfect reason…
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We have been up to Geraldine, South Canterbury this weekend visiting family. I walked in on Friday night and there was feijoa wine! Feijoa loaf to have with our cuppa tea. Their feijoa tree….. has been laden throughout summer, autumn…. still a few on the tree today, I noticed..
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A festival of feijoas!
I haven’t been to Geraldine in years…
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It was certainly festive!
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They look nice, alright, but LM’s comparison with the much-hated chokos of my yoof has put me right off, TSL! 🙂
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Ha! – they taste nothing like chokos! Don’t let LM influence you.
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Thanks for the link 🙂 May one day you will get to try it! I feel your pain, I found feijoas in London the other day but there were about £1 each 😦
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THAT’S INSANE! I’m not sure I love feijoas enough to pay £1 each!
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My neighbours have a feijoa tree and I am deeply envious! I used to buy them for 4 dollars a kilo in Adelaide, but haven’t seen them much in Sydney. I’m a fan!
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