Well Fed Network Article – Latino Sweets: Guava

Posted on Aug 27 in Colombian Food, Sugar Savvy Blog, Well Fed Network, baking, cookies, dessert, fruit, latinoby nikaPrint

Here is an article of mine published at the Sugar Savvy blog, part of the Well Fed Network.

You can see that I pulled some of the material from my last post into this article. Writing the article was my inspiration for pulling together the whole Colombian Breakfast How-2 guide post.

Latino Sweets: Guava

In Colombia, where I was born, there is a profusion of fruits that can be had as is or are rendered into delicious sweets. There are many fruits that Americans will not usually see unless they travel down for a visit.

One such fruit is the Guava. Guava in spanish is Guyaba or Guyabana. Some informative links on the Guava fruit include:

* TROPICAL GUAVA- (Psidium guajava L.) – California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc.
* Guava Wiki entry

(An unpeeled guava fruit – Photo credit copyright © 2006 Nika Boyce)
(A sliced guava fruit – Photo credit copyright © 2006 Nika Boyce)More and more you can buy this fruit here in the US and it is possible to get the divine guava paste. If you find that, (in your Goya section) give it a try!
(Goya Guava Paste- Photo credit copyright © 2006 Nika Boyce)You can eat the paste straight or experiment with it on various breads and recipes. Colombians like to put it on a hot arepa, as shown below, or simply served with queso blanco (farmer’s cheese).
(Guava paste on an arepa- Photo credit copyright © 2006 Nika Boyce)It would be great as a fruit center in cookies (I have to try that, do not have photos to show you, sorry for the tease!).Another way Colombians like to partake in the guava is in what is called a Fresco. These are like American smoothies and have been made in South America for ages. Frescos can be made from all manner of fruits, my favorite is a black raspberry fresco.Guyabana Frescos

Ingredients:

small dice of very ripe guava (without peel)
very cold milk
sugar

Directions:

Note: The amounts used are personal preference and also dependent on how many you want to make!

In a blender mix the milk, sugar and fresh fruit.

Serve immediately.

I have memories of black raspberry (mora) frescos being served fresh in Pereira, Colombia in my Aunt’s home. I stood at the back door and sipped my mora fresco as I watched the daily noon-time tropical rain shower beat down the leaves in the garden. The fresco cooled me inside, the cold marble floor cooled my bare feet, and cool rain-smelling mountain breezes swirled around me.

Yet another way that Colombians like to eat this fruit is when it is not ripe. They peel it, cut it into small pieces and then down it as a chaser after a shot of aguardiente. You could do the same with pineapple chunks too. Aguardiente is one of Colombia’s signature national spirits (along with divine Colombian Rum). It is a real fire water, tastes like black licorice, very potent.

There are other ways to enjoy Guava, if you would like to add yours, please share!

Related Posts:

• How-2 guide on how to make Platanos (fried plantains or tostones)
• Yucas Fritas (Fried Yucas or Cassava Root) Recipe and How 2 photos
• Empanadas – The Recipe
• Flash Flickr Movie of How to make Colombian Empanadas
• Chicharron – Deep fried pork belly – How To
• How to make Colombian Empanadas – directions
• Latest full recipe for Colombian Bunuelos (2006 post)
• Last year’s Christmas Bunuelo Decadence
• A Colombian breakfast How-2 guide
• Colombian Frescos
• Lechona preparation

Popularity: 7% [?]