Generality
There feijoa it is the fruit of a plant belonging to the Myrtaceae family and to the Genus Acca; the binomial nomenclature of feijoa is Acca sellowiana.
It is a species belonging to the same family as the myrtle, a well-known shrub very widespread in the Mediterranean basin, whose fruits are consumed for food.
Feijoa is also widely cultivated in New Zealand, as an ornamental plant or fruit tree. It is also used for aesthetic purposes in Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Western Georgia and Southern Russia.
The most common names of the "Acca sellowiana are: feijoa, pineapple-guava and guavasteen, even if it is not a real" guava ".
The feijoa is a shrub that reaches the size of a small tree; it looks like an evergreen with a perennial cycle that is between 1 and 7m in height.
The name "feijoa" was chosen by the German botanist Otto Karl Berg, starting from the noun "João", derived from the proper name of "Silva Feijó", a Portuguese botanist born in the Brazilian colony.
Description of the fruit
The feijoa fruit ripens in autumn; it has a green color and an ellipsoidal shape, and reaches the size of a hen's egg.
The fruit has a sweet and aromatic flavor, vaguely similar to pineapple, with hints of apple and mint.
The pulp of the feijoa fruit is juicy and layered into two distinct parts: a clear, gelatinous and seed-rich central one, and a firmer, slightly grainy and opalescent outer one.
The pulp of the fruit is very similar to that of guava, as it has a grainy texture (also typical of pear).
The pulp of the feijoa fruit is also used in various natural cosmetic products, with the function of exfoliating.
The fruit has a very intense smell, which resembles that of a commercial perfume. This aroma is due to a molecule called methyl ester benzoate and other similar compounds of the fruit.
Nutritional Content of Feijoa
Feijoa is a fruit with a medium-sized energy intake, comparable (or higher) to that of Italian autumn fruit. The calories come mainly from carbohydrates, while lipids and proteins are deficient.Feijoa is rich in water, a very important element in the diet of athletes and the elderly, who tend to dehydrate more easily than sedentary and young people.
From a vitamin point of view, feijoa is not distinguished by noteworthy contributions. The main molecule belongs to the water-soluble group and is ascorbic acid (vitamin C).
Nutritional Values Feijoa
The intake of fibers is very good, an interesting feature in the diet against constipation and to maintain the health of the intestine; thanks to this characteristic, feijoa also promotes the trophism of the physiological bacterial flora.
Feijoa is a food that lends itself to most diets. Overweight subjects, those with type 2 diabetes mellitus and / or hypertriglyceridemia should consume it more carefully. It has no particular contraindications and the average portion is about 150-200g.
Consumption and uses of the fruit
The feijoa fruit is usually eaten cut in two and scooped out of the pulp with a spoon. In the portion with the seeds it is juicy and sweet, while the area near the skin is grainy.
The feijoa can also be torn in half with the hands or bitten by squeezing the juice directly into the mouth or into a glass.
An alternative method for the consumption of feijoa fruits is to remove the ends, cut it lengthwise and scrape it with the incisors; this method minimizes the waste of the edible part.
The "feijoa bomb" is a particularly sensual way (used in the original countries) to eat the fruit; it consists in peeling a small feijoa and eating it in two without hands.
Feijoa can be used as an ingredient in smoothies and for fermented alcoholic or alcoholic infused beverages.
The flavor is aromatic, very strong and complex; reminiscent of guava, strawberry, pineapple and often contains an “unripe” aftertaste.
In New Zealand it is also possible to find yogurt, drinks, jams and ice creams alla feijoa, as well as vodka (for example the “42 Below”) on the market.
Feijoa can be cooked and used in various dishes which include cooked fruit.
It is a widely used ingredient in chutneys (oriental condiments). Its complex and very intense flavor allows you to use the fruits of feijoa in combination with others to create extremely complex recipes.
The edibility of the fruit is not always clearly distinguishable. In fact, the ripe feijoa remains of the same hue and changes only in consistency (like avocado); it is possible to check the state of ripeness by applying a slight pressure, to which the pulp must yield without too much resistance. Generally, the fruit reaches its level optimal ripeness on the day it falls from the tree. When it is still hanging, it may turn out to be quite bitter. On the other hand, once on the ground, it ripens over a period of one day or at most two, which is why the harvest should be daily.
When the feijoa fruit is immature, the pulp around the seeds is dull white. It becomes clear and gelatinous only when it is fully ripe. The fruits are "perfect" when the pulp around the seeds becomes a translucent, clear jelly without any hint of browning. Once the pulp begins to take on a brown hue, the fruit is overripe but still edible; it can be used to make juices, jams or compotes.
The petals of the feijoa flowers are edible, they have a slightly sweet flavor with hints of cinnamon. The most common use is in addition to salads; if left on the plant, they are regularly devoured by the bird fauna.
Cultivation
The feijoa is a subtropical plant that grows with a warm-temperate climate, but needs at least 50 hours of low temperatures for fruiting; it is frost tolerant.
If obtained from seeds, feijoa has a very slow growth for the first two years, a period in which it is most sensitive to wind and colder temperatures.
In the northern hemisphere, feijoa has been cultivated as far north as Western Scotland, although in such conditions it does not bear fruit every year.
Winter temperatures below -9 ° C freeze and destroy the flower buds of feijoa, just as summer temperatures above 32 ° C can have an equally negative effect.
Feijoa trees are quite tolerant of drought and salt in the soil, although fruit production can be adversely affected. It is tolerant to partial sun exposure and requires regular watering only during the fruit ripening period.
Seasonality of Feijoa
Feijoa trees are normally grown in New Zealand, where they represent a common garden tree; the fruit is often available in the spring season, ie from March to June.
Feijoa plants are also part of the wild flora in the south of the United States, from Texas to Florida and southern California, although rainfall is almost absent here.
Feijoa shrubs are grown for their fruit even in certain areas of northern California but, far from the production areas, the fruit is an extremely rare and expensive food product due to its low popularity and relative commercial demand.
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