Guava: what it is, benefits, varieties and uses in cooking

What is it?

The guava is one of the most representative and best-loved tropical fruits of Mexico: a round or oval fruit three to ten centimetres across, with thin yellowish-green skin when ripe, and creamy inner pulp of white, pink or red colour according to the variety, dotted with small hard edible seeds. Its aroma is intense and characteristic, sweet and slightly musky, capable of perfuming a whole kitchen with just one ripe piece. It is eaten fresh, whole with skin and seeds, or transformed into an enormous variety of preparations: agua fresca de guayaba, ate or cajeta de guayaba (a solid concentrated fruit paste), guayabate, jam, jellies, ice creams, lollies, chilli-coated sweets, Christmas punch, atole, wine and liqueurs. It is one of the fruits most associated with the Christmas season in Mexico, thanks to its essential use in the traditional year-end punch. The main season runs from September to February, though it is now produced almost all year round.

Origin and history

The guava is native to Mesoamerica and the tropical basin of south-central Mexico, where its domestication dates back at least 2,500 years, according to archaeological evidence. The name guayaba comes from the Antillean Taíno guayabo, the language the Spanish brought from the Caribbean; the Nahua called it xalxocotl, a word meaning sandy fruit or sour fruit. Francisco Hernández in his Natural History of New Spain and Friar Bernardino de Sahagún in the Florentine Codex, both of the 16th century, amply document the Mexican guava varieties and their dietary and medicinal uses. After the Conquest, the guava spread rapidly across the tropical world: the Philippines, India, Africa, Brazil and Southeast Asia, where it has naturalised and developed its own varieties. Today it is grown in tropical and subtropical climates on every continent. In Mexico, the main producing regions are Aguascalientes, Michoacán, Zacatecas and Jalisco, with the region of Calvillo (Aguascalientes) and Jalpa (Zacatecas) considered the cradles of the Mexican guava, where annual fairs are held and the traditional sweet factories are concentrated. SADER highlights Mexico as one of the world's leading producers and consumers of guava, with annual production of about 300,000 tonnes.

Characteristic ingredients

The guava is botanically Psidium guajava, family Myrtaceae, an evergreen tree or shrub three to ten metres tall. The varieties grown in Mexico include white guava (cream-coloured pulp, sweet and mild), pink or coral-red guava (intense pink pulp, more fragrant and aromatic), Peruvian guava (elongated, whitish-yellow pulp), strawberry guava or cas (Psidium cattleianum, small red fruits), and regional landrace varieties. The pulp contains very high levels of vitamin C (more than oranges), vitamin A, dietary fibre, potassium, magnesium, lycopene (in the pink varieties) and antioxidants. The seeds are hard and edible, though some people discard them. For cooking, the guava is used whole or halved; when cooked it softens quickly and releases its characteristic aroma. Mexican Christmas punch has guava as a main ingredient, along with tejocote, sugar cane, prunes, apple, piloncillo and cinnamon, simmered over a low heat. The ate de guayaba, originating in Morelia (Michoacán), is one of the best-known traditional sweets of Mexico, a solid paste of fruit concentrated in sugar syrup, kept for months, eaten in slices with fresh cheese. Other uses include jams, jellies, lollies, chilli-coated sweets with tajín, atoles, aguas frescas and, in some regions, artisanal wines and liqueurs.

Cultural significance

The guava is part of Mexico's gastronomic heritage and an emblem of the national sweet kitchen, inseparably tied to Christmas celebrations through the traditional punch. Aguascalientes and Calvillo are considered the Mexican cradle of the guava; the National Guava Fair in Calvillo, held each November for several decades, draws thousands of visitors with competitions, gastronomy and cultural events. The making of ate de guayaba in Morelia (Michoacán) is a centuries-old artisanal tradition, with factories such as Calixto and Morelia producing ates since the early 20th century, part of the gastronomic heritage of Michoacán. Traditional Mexican Cuisine, inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010, includes ates and Christmas punch as part of the traditional repertoire. Economically, the guava sustains thousands of producers in Aguascalientes, Michoacán, Zacatecas and Jalisco, with an annual production value of about 5,000 million pesos. The ate, chilli-coated sweets and artisanal lolly industry depends largely on this fruit. SADER also highlights the export potential of the Mexican guava, particularly to the United States, Canada and Europe, where the Mexican diaspora maintains a constant demand for the fresh fruit and its derived products.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between white guava and pink guava?

White guava has cream or whitish-yellow pulp, a mild, sweet flavour and a moderate aroma. Pink or coral-red guava has intense pink pulp owing to lycopene, a more fragrant and aromatic flavour, and tends to be slightly juicier. Both are used in similar preparations, but the pink one is more popular for jams and lollies for its attractive colour.

What does guava taste like?

It has a sweet, slightly tart flavour, with an intense and very characteristic aroma combining floral notes, mild musk and tropical fruit. The texture is creamy but with small hard seeds that some people eat and others discard. Ripe, the flavour is very aromatic and sweet; green, it is astringent and slightly tart. It is a fruit of penetrating aroma, which easily perfumes a whole kitchen.

How is guava served?

It is served fresh, cut into slices or whole, eaten with skin and seeds; also peeled in wedges for desserts. It is an essential ingredient of Mexican Christmas punch, boiled with tejocote, sugar cane, prunes, apple and piloncillo. It is transformed into ate de guayaba (served with fresh cheese), jam, jelly, lollies, ice creams, chilli-coated sweets with tajín and atole. In savoury cooking it is also used in salsas for meats.

Where does the guava come from?

It is native to Mesoamerica, particularly south-central Mexico and adjacent areas of Central America and the Caribbean, where it was domesticated at least 2,500 years ago. The name comes from the Antillean Taíno brought by the Spanish; the Nahua called it xalxocotl. After the Conquest it spread globally across the tropics of the world. Today Mexico is one of the leading producers and consumers, with emblematic regions such as Calvillo (Aguascalientes) and Jalpa (Zacatecas).