Guava Paste

History & Origin

Guava paste, also known as ate de guayaba, is one of the most representative traditional confections of Mexican patisserie. Its origin dates back to the colonial period, when nuns in the convents of Puebla, Morelia and Queretaro perfected the ate technique, inspired by preserves the Spanish had inherited from the Arabs. The guava, native to Mesoamerica, was consumed by pre-Hispanic peoples naturally, but the fusion with the European sugar-preserving technique gave rise to the ate. Morelia, in Michoacan, is the undisputed capital of Mexican ate, where artisan sweet shops have produced ates since the 17th century, with guava being the most popular alongside quince. The process requires patience: the fruit is cooked with sugar for hours, constantly stirring with a wooden paddle until it pulls away from the pan and forms a firm paste moulded in wooden boxes. The combination of ate with cheese, known as 'Romeo and Juliet' elsewhere in Latin America, is in Mexico a classic pairing balancing sweet with salty.