However, if you’ve never had guava before you might be curious to know: What does guava taste like?
In this article, I will cover some key information about guava, including its taste and how you know when it’s ripe enough to eat!
Keep reading to find out more.
What Is Guava?
Guava trees are grown in tropical and subtropical areas worldwide, and guava is a tropical fruit that is round to pear-shaped that contains edible seeds. Unripe guava is dark green in color, and the color that it changes to as it ripens will depend on the type of guava.
Guava is a nutrient-dense fruit, and is rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber, making it an excellent fruit to incorporate into your diet in various different recipes.
There are a variety of different types of guava, all with varying characteristics. As I’ve mentioned above, depending on the type of guava, their colors vary once they are ripe. The fruit can be white, yellow, pink or red.
Pink Guava
When it gets ripe, the pink guava’s flesh turns pink from white and its skin is bright yellow in color.
White Guava
The white guava’s flesh is white when ripe, and its skin is a light green color.
Red Malaysian Guava
When ripe, the skin is red and the flesh of this guava is pink.
Lemon Guava
Lemon guavas have a yellow interior and exterior. Their yellow color and their aroma is where they get their name from!
Tropical Yellow Guava (Mexican Cream)
The yellow guava’s flesh is a yellowish-red color and the skin is white.
Guavas can be bought at fruit markets, some grocery stores, and in cans. Depending on where you live, guavas can be incredibly hard to find, so this is why the canned variety is often the easiest choice if you live outside of tropical America.
There are a wide variety of guavas that vary in how they look. They also vary in how they taste, as I go into further detail below.
What Does Guava Taste Like?
Guava fruit has a unique taste that’s fruity and slightly floral. The guava taste can be described as something similar to a cross between a strawberry and a pear.
That being said, the type of guava can have an impact on how it tastes, as the level of sweetness can vary between the different types of guavas.
Tropical Pink Guava
Tropical pink guava has a mildly sweet flavor and a very strong aroma which adds to its beautifully tropical fruit flavor.
White Guava
White guava has the unmistakable guava taste, however, it is somewhat more watery and less flavorful as this variety of guava has more liquid than other varieties.
Red Malaysian Guava
Red Malaysian guavas are so vibrant in color that they are often used for decoration as opposed to adding flavor to a dish. That being said, they do bring a mild sweetness that is worthy of note.
Lemon Guava
Lemon guavas have a delicious combination of sweet and tangy flavors and also have a very strong lemon aroma.
Yellow Guava
Yellow guava is typically considered to be the sweetest among all guavas. Although its uses can vary, it is primarily used in the making of desserts.
How Can You Tell When Guava Fruit Is Ripe?
You can easily gauge whether a guava is ripe enough to eat simply by feeling it. A ripe guava will be soft and give slightly under the pressure of your fingers when you lightly squeeze it as you would a mango or an avocado.
In addition to this, you can tell a guava is ripe by the aroma it gives off. Ripe guavas have a sweet aroma that becomes stronger as it ripens.
You will know if the guava is ripe enough, as you’ll be able to smell its sweet scent and will want to tuck into it without even having to feel it with your hands.
The riper your guava is, the stronger the aroma will be, and the more your mouth will water every time you go near the fruit bowl! Trust me, this exotic fruit is pretty hard to resist once it’s ripened!
If you buy green guavas that are too hard to eat, you can let them ripen at room temperature.
That being said, if you need your guavas to ripen more quickly or can feel yourself becoming impatient, you can try placing them in a paper bag with a banana or apple and they will ripen at a faster pace.
How Do You Store Guava?
You can store guava fruits in the same way that you would store any fruit in the fruit bowl to ripen.
That being said, once your guava is ripe, place it in a paper bag and store it in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator ready to eat. Generally speaking, guavas can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days.
You’ll want to enjoy your guava before this time, as they can become a little mushy in texture and become less pleasant to eat.
In addition to this, you can also freeze chopped guava in resealable plastic bags for up to 8 months.
You can either defrost them and eat them as they are, or they are an excellent ingredient to chuck in the blender straight from the freezer to go into smoothies and smoothie bowls!
What Are The Best Ways To Eat Guava?
Guava is packed full of nutrients, including important vitamins and minerals. Did you know, the rind of a guava fruit has more vitamin C than an orange?
If you’re new to eating guava, there are a tonne of different ways to enjoy this refreshing tropical fruit. Below are some of the most popular ways that fresh and canned guava can be eaten.
Guava is a super yummy fruit to make guava jam and guava preserves with. This sweet and sticky spread is fantastic with toast and bagels and pretty much every type of bread that you can think of!
If you’re into eating quick breakfasts that can be taken on the go, frozen guava is an excellent way of adding a creamy texture and sweet, tropical flavor to your morning smoothie. Once you try it, you’ll want to get out of bed for this recipe every morning!
Guava is often used to make guava puree, and is a common ingredient in fruity pastry fillings. The sweet flavor works perfectly with the buttery, flaky pastry, and is simply a delight to eat!
Guava is great to use in fruit salad. Just mix it with your other favorite exotic fruit such as mango, dragon fruit, papaya, pineapple, and dragon fruit for a tropical fruit salad! Other sweet fruits like strawberry, grapes, and bananas work beautifully with guava, too.
Guava is a fantastic ingredient to use in salads! It provides a nice, sweet flavor and gives your salad another layer of flavor amongst the savory ingredients. Simply chop up the guava and toss it with your other salad ingredients.
Why not try making your own tropical ice cream with fresh guava? Alternatively, you could give your sundae a tropical twist by adding ripe guava slices on top of it with a generous helping of whipped cream! Delicious.
Raw guava is super yummy to make guava juice with! For this you will need the juice from citrus fruit, such as lime juice, along with sugar, water, and fresh guava.
Add it all to a blender, guava seeds and all, and blend until smooth. Strain the pulp and any leftover guava seeds after blending, pour into a glass, and enjoy! You could even turn the pulp into guava nectar!
If you’re in the mood for a tropical tipple, why not try making a refreshing guava mint cocktail? For this recipe you need guava juice, mint, tequila, and lime juice.
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying guava all on its own for that pure, unadulterated guava taste! When eating raw guava, always make sure that you wash it thoroughly beforehand, and always have a quick scour for any little critters or bugs that may have gotten into the flesh!
Final Thoughts
Guava is a tropical fruit that in terms of taste can be described as a cross between a strawberry and a pear.
However, the level of sweetness can vary between the different types of guavas, and each type has its own notable characteristics in terms of color and flavor.
Guava is low in calories, loaded with fiber, and an excellent addition to a healthy diet. Most importantly, it is a highly versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of different recipes from savory salads to sweet treats such as pastries, jams, and fruit salads.
Now you know a bit more about the guava fruit, hopefully you have the information to get creative and enjoy using guava in the kitchen!
Cassie brings decades of experience to the Kitchen Community. She is a noted chef and avid gardener. Her new book "Healthy Eating Through the Garden" will be released shortly. When not writing or speaking about food and gardens Cassie can be found puttering around farmer's markets and greenhouses looking for the next great idea.
