Freshly peeled feijoa is sometimes featured in Brazilian fruit salads.
Feijoa, or pineapple guava, is a tropical plant native to Brazil. It prefers subtropical areas and will suffer frost damage. Feijoa is often used for hedges and screens as it is attractive and relatively fast growing. The fruit is considered subacid, with a pineapple flavor and sweeter notes of strawberry and guava. Feijoa is not commonly found in American grocery stores, although large grocery stores with a large selection of exotic fruits may have feijoa in season, which varies by location.
The feijoa bush grows to about 15 feet (five meters) and has light gray bark with oblong greenish-gray leaves. The flowers are very showy, in shades of brown and white, and make a striking and fragrant addition to landscaping. Planted close together and trained, feijoa bushes make an excellent privacy screen or windbreak in temperate zones. Feijoa prefers partial sun, with protection from extreme heat.
The feijoa fruit begins with a green ovoid shape covered by small white hairs. As the fruit ripens, it remains greenish or yellow with a slight red tint, and the hairs fall off. When opened, the feijoa reveals granular white flesh and pulp-encased seeds. Feijoa also has a rich aroma, which begins to emanate before it is fully ripe.
There are several cultivars of feijoa, some of which are grown for fruit production, while others are designed for landscape use. The plant is grown throughout Latin America, as well as in Australia and parts of the United States. In the northernmost areas of the United States, it is commonly used for landscaping because the plant itself is frost tolerant but the fruit is not.
Feijoa flowers are also edible, albeit pungent, and make great simple meals, sprinkled on salads or as a side dish. The fruit itself should be peeled before consumption and sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent browning. Feijoa is often used to flavor fruit salads, cooked into puddings, preserved in syrup, or fermented in alcohol. Feijoa is also used to make hot sauces and condiments, and a syrup extract is commonly used in Latin America to flavor beverages.
Feijoa does not keep well in the fridge and lasts about a week before the quality of the fruit begins to deteriorate. When looking for the fruit, look for specimens that are uniform in color, free of bruises, and should have a characteristic sweet odor. If harvested too early, feijoa will not ripen well on the tree, so look for reasonably soft fruit. If exposed to too much heat and humidity, the fruit will rot under the skin, so ask about handling practices at your grocery store.