Guava is a tropical fruit that’s commonly found in the Caribbean, South America, Mexico and Central America.
Its skin colour ranges from yellow to light green, and its flesh is a white, vibrant pink, or deep red.
It grows on the Psidium guajava tree which is a member of the myrtle family.
This article will cover what guava taste like and common questions related to its taste.
What Does Guava Taste Like?
Ripe guava has a sweet and musky smell. It has an almost globally pleasant taste, with a unique flavour.
A lot of people say it tastes like a cross between a pear and a strawberry.
You can tell if a guava is ripe if it feels slightly soft and has a slightly strong aroma.
Guava pulp is soft and juicy. Some people think it tastes a little like papaya except the seeds.
Other people compare its texture to that of a pear. Guava pulp is firm but soft enough to eat without cutting it up.
Guava’s taste is subjective, depending on whom you speak to, and what variety of the fruit they’ve had.
But the taste consensus of guava is that it is a delicious and nutritious fruit.
What Does Pineapple Guava Taste Like?
Accra sellowiana —previously called Feijoa selliwiana— is pineapple guava. It’s native to Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay and Paraguay. It is also popular in New Zealand.
Pineapple guava is famous for its delicious fruit and edible flowers, as well as ornamental purposes.
The fruit is green and almost completely round. It’s about the size of a small avocado, or a plum.
Pineapple guavas have a unique taste. The fruit has a mixture of tangy, bitter and sweet flavours.
This mixture of flavours is one of the reasons the fruit’s name is pineapple guava —the flavours are found in pineapples and guavas.
Besides the obvious pineapple and guava taste, pineapple guavas taste slightly like strawberries.
Some species have a subtly minty flavour that increases as the fruit ripens.
To enjoy the best flavour of pineapple guava, gather the fruit the day it falls off the tree.
If you eat the fruit before it falls off the tree —plucking it by yourself— it’ll be bitter. Waiting for too long after it has fallen off the tree will leave you with an overripe and generally unsavoury fruit.
What Does Guava Juice Taste Like?
Guava juice tastes the same way the fruit tastes. It’s sweet and savoury, with a side of the tang.
Guava juice is highly nutritious and beneficial to the body. It’s pulpy and thick, with a pleasant aroma.
You can make guava juice at home by following these instructions:
- Cut up your guava and put it in a juicer or blender. It’s not compulsory to peel the skin and remove the seeds, but you can.
- Add a little bit of water, depending on how powerful your juicer is.
- Add a few drops of honey to sweeten the juice.
Guava juice makes a great addition to nutritious smoothies and shakes.
Is Guava Sweet or Sour?
Guavas are naturally sweet fruits, but they’re sour when unripe.
If the guava is entirely ripe, it will be soft, juicy and sweet.
Unripe guavas are harder than ripe ones. They are also sourer, and they taste more acidic.
Unripe guava has a dry feel in the mouth, and the skin is not tender.
Overripe guavas have yellowish skin and are very tender on the inside. They are usually edible, but they work better in jellies and jams.
If the flesh of a guava is brown, the guava is spoilt.
In conclusion, guava is either sweet or sour, depending on its level of ripeness.
Do You Eat the Seeds of a Guava?
Yes, you can eat guava seeds!
Guava seeds make up a percentage of the nutritional benefits of the fruit as a whole.
In fact, many food experts recommend the consumption of guava seeds. You can either chew them or swallow them whole.
You can eat the seeds with the pulp to enjoy the fruit and gain nutrients at the same time.
You could also crush the guava seeds and blend them in a smoothie or shake.
A unique and interesting way of eating the seeds is to use them as ice cream or frozen yoghurt topping. Another way is to mix them into a fruit salad.
Here are some benefits of eating guava seeds:
- Guava seeds help to reduce blood pressure. This is because they contain a high amount of potassium which is known to regulate blood pressure.
- Guava seeds help to relieve constipation. This is because they are quite fibrous in nature.
- The seeds help to control acidity if you swallow them whole.
What Type of Guava is Best?
Different types of guavas have gained popularity over the years. Here are the top four guavas that are regarded as the best by lovers of the fruit.
The Red Malaysian Guava is delicious with its full redness. These fruits are filled with antioxidants. Indeed, they are the guavas with the highest source of the nutrients.
The Tropical White Guava is sweet and tender with a pleasant aroma. It also has a yellowy skin tint. It is also loaded with antioxidants.
The Strawberry Guava produces reddish guava fruit that has a delicious strawberry-like taste. Inside, the fruit is typically pink-speckled and yellowish-white.
The tree that produces strawberry guava is also responsible for the Lemon Guava.
This variety is yellow and has yellow flesh. Its taste is reminiscent of lemon and guava.
What is the Sweetest Guava?
The Pink Guava is considered to be the sweetest of all guava varieties.
They have a sweet musky fragrance that is enriched with tropical notes. These notes much resemble papaya, passion fruit, melon and pear.
Some also describe it as an exquisite blend between pear, apple and strawberry with faint notes of pineapple and mango.
How to Eat a Guava
You can eat guava fruit just as it is. All you have to do is rinse it and dive in! Some add a pinch of salt to combat any acidity.
Cut your guavas in half and use a spoon to scoop up the insides.
Use your guava to make ice popsicles. You can also add them to your daily smoothie routines.
You can also add guavas to tropical salads or a trifle.
Guavas are a delicious addition to different recipes. Add them to pastries, fold them in meat or eat them with toasts.
How to Cut a Guava
You can chop up your guava like you would an apple. They are entirely delicious like this as well.
However, if you want to add them into salads or make smoothies out of them, use these steps to cut your guavas properly:
- Cut off the guava’s ends with a knife.
- Use a veggie peeler to peel the outer skin of guava till all you have left are the insides.
- Cut the guava in halves and scoop the insides. Some people keep the seeds in, but most people get rid of them when cooking with guava.
- If you want to get rid of the seeds, you can easily scoop the seedy area out.
- You can also purée the guava fruit whole.
How to Prepare Guava
You can choose to bake, boil, or poach your guava. If you are doing any of this, first use a mesh strainer to extract the seeds.
Use guavas to make cookies by blending them and mixing with your batter.
When you poach guavas, the seeds pop right up after about 10 minutes.
You can also purée your guavas, then thin them out with water and a sweetener or milk to make chilled, and refreshing juices.
Add a dash of lemon juice to guava slices before you boil them.
How to Tell if a Guava is Ripe
There are many different ways to tell if a guava is ripe and some of them are:
The color of the skin on the guava changes from a bright and vivid green to a yellowish colour when it is ripe.
The aroma of the fruit becomes stronger as it ripens, and it becomes sweeter as well.
The fruit becomes slightly softer when you feel it.
If you want to make the ripening process faster, put your guava in a paper bag with a banana or an apple.
Can You Eat Guava Whilst Pregnant?
Yes, you can. It’s healthy for pregnant women to eat a guava, provided it’s consumed in the right amounts.
Pregnant women should only eat ripe and peeled guava fruits. The fruit should only be consumed in small quantities per time.
You can eat guavas throughout all stages of pregnancy.
Watch out for fruits that have worms in them. This kind is polluted and best not consumed by pregnant women.
To Sum Up
Guava is a sweet fruit that tastes like a combination of several familiar fruits, both tropical and not. This includes pear, strawberry and mango.
You can eat guava raw, cook it, or use it to make dessert.
Whatever you decide to use guavas for, you can’t go wrong because their sweetness gives them a versatility that many fruits lack.