Thanks so much for visiting. My blog has moved! Redirecting…

You should be automatically redirected. If not, please take a moment to visit Nika's Culinaria (new blog) and update your bookmarks.

Nika's Culinaria - Eat With Your Eyes: Well Fed Network Article - Latino Sweets: Guava

Nika's Culinaria - Eat With Your Eyes

Culinary Photography


Well Fed Network Article - Latino Sweets: Guava

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

guava-1-060908-JPG

(An unpeeled guava fruit - Photo credit copyright © 2006 Nika Boyce)


guava-3-060908-JPG

(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!

Colombian Breakfast - 8

(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).

Colombian Breakfast - 11: arepas - 3

(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:

View blog reactions



Links to this post




© 2005-2007 Nika's Culinaria - Eat With Your Eyes

web stats