My sister found a Feijoa tree growing wild in her neighborhood. Tree must be about 30 years old.
She sent me a box. This has the best flavor and sweetness of any I’ve tasted. Incredibly aromatic and very sweet. Fruit is slightly smaller than named varieties.
Must have been planted for ornamental value and no one picks the fruit. It’s amazing how much great fruit just goes to waste.
Also do most of you discard the skin while eating a Feijoa? Seems such a waste. Everyone in my family prefers eating with the skin. Has a wonderful guava flavor.
I eat the skin on most fruit including persimmons and russetted Asian pears and such, and I like feijoa, but find feijoa skin off-putting. It’s been a while since I’ve had it, but I recall perhaps a bitter, soapy taste.
After eating a few more I can understand why some may find the skin not palatable. To me the skin tastes exactly like guava skin which people normally eat.
But it is a strong resinous flavor, somewhat medicinal even which can be off putting to some
What city does your sister live in? “Wild” feijoa is usually attributed to seedling plants, very common on New Zealand roadsides, that bear fruit. Your fruit looks very similar to ones I have bought in a Russian grocery store, and are also similar to the ones on bushes at the HOS Arboretum in the Portland area.
I compare the flavor of the skins to the aroma of Pine Sol. I do leave the skins on when thin-slicing 1/8" and drying. That small amount of skin when eating the dried chip is tasty.
There are numerous landscaping trees where she lives. This one appears to have outstanding fruit.
Skin tastes exactly like tropical guava to me. —indistinguishable. Normally guava skin is eaten.
I noticed some of the fruit was pretty large in the box she sent — upto 90g. The average was about 60g.
