compounds). Their flesh contains hundreds of
small seeds and many gritty stone cells, so
guavas are most often used to make purees,
juices, syrups, and preserves. The Spanish
colonizers exploited their high pectin content
to make a New World version of quince paste.
Guavas are remarkable for a vitamin C
content that can reach 1 gram per 100 grams,
with much of it concentrated near and in the
thin, fragile peel.
The so-called pineapple guava, or feijoa,
comes from the shrub Feijoa sellowiana, also
a South American member of the myrtle
family. It shares a similar size and structure
and some flavor elements with guava, but its
strong aroma is distinctive and less complex,
dominated by a particular group of esters
(from benzoic acid). It too is usually pulped
and strained for use in liquid preparations.
Breadfruit and Jackfruit Breadfruit and
jackfruit are fruits of two species of the Asian