You say guava, I say guayaba

Escaping the snowy Washington D.C. March winter for a few days in San Miguel de Allende, I was drawn to the sun-kissed, aromatic, tropical fruit found in abundance at the market here: guayaba or guava, as it's called in English. The name guava has always confused me because in Laredo where we grew up everyone called it by its Spanish name, guayaba. A bowl of these, with the floral scent of the tropics and redolent of the warm sun under which they grew, make the most inviting fruit one can have arriving from a frigid nothern climate.

Use firm guayabas so they are easy to peel

At Casa Carmen where I'm staying, the devoted cook of this bed and breakfast, Doña Beatriz, prepared a dessert with guayaba today. This is just one of the ways to eat this delectable fruit, but really, you can simply eat it raw when it's sweet and ripe, have it as an agua fresca, make it into dried fruit paste, marmalade, ice cream or even a sauce to accompany meats. Guayaba is an antioxidant and is a great way to get Vitamin C. It doesn't get any better. Here is Doña Beatriz' recipe.

Guayabas literally bursting with flavor

The sugar/water should syrup have turned pinkish from the cinnamon before you add the peeled guayaba

You say guava, I say guayaba

Recipe Type: Dessert

Cuisine: Mexican

Author: Gilda Valdez Carbonaro

Prep time: 25 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 55 mins

Serves: 6

This dessert can be easily prepared several days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs guayabas (approximately 12 small guayabas
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 cups water

Instructions:

1. Peel the guayabas and pierce them to the center with a sharp knife and set aside.


2. Boil the water with the cinnamon sticks until the water turns pinkish.


3. Add the sugar and boil for another 10 or 15 minutes.


4. Add the peeled guayabas and boil them until they feel soft when you pierce them with a fork.

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