Few of us know what feijoa is and where it grows. This exotic berry became known relatively recently. Feijoa belongs to the species of evergreen tree-like shrubs of the myrtle family. It is a valuable fruit crop, grown in countries with a subtropical climate.
Origin and distribution
In the forests of Brazil, this plant was first seen and described by a German botanist and naturalist Friedrich Sello in the middle of the XIX century. In the wild, tree-like undergrowth grew in northern Argentina, in Uruguay, in the southern regions of Colombia and Brazil. And the name of its fruit was in honor of the Director of the Lisbon Museum of Natural History, a very famous researcher of the plant world, the writer Joan de Silva Feijho.
At the end of the XIX century, the plant fell into the warm Mediterranean countries. The French were the first to appreciate its unusual taste. A few years later his cuttings were brought to Yalta and Sukhumi. In Italy, feijoa appeared in the second decade of the twentieth century, and from there it spread to nearby countries. A little later, he was recognized in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Where and how does feijoa grow now? Currently, the tree is cultivated in many countries, namely in Italy, USA, France, Spain, Thailand, Portugal, Greece. Its presence can boast of the reserves of the Caucasus. The plant got acclimatized in Russia (in the Crimea and in the Krasnodar Territory), as well as in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Armenia and Abkhazia. It grows well in the subtropics, but does not tolerate the tropics. Maintains small cold in -2 ... - 10 ° С.
Very good plant feels in New Zealand. Fruits grown in this country are considered the largest and most tasty. Due to the absence of natural insect pests there, the culture is little processed with chemicals and the berries are environmentally cleaner than those grown in other regions.
Description and properties
What does feijoa look like? The tree is very beautiful, not very high (up to 4 m), with a spreading crown and a very extensive root system. Leaf blades are almost round, shiny and leathery. The upper part of the leaf is dark green, and the lower part is much lighter, almost gray and slightly pubescent. The flowers are large, pink-white, with numerous stamens and bloom for a very long time. The plant is dioecious, pollinated by insects. The tree is decorative, it can be grown not only because of the fruit.
The first cultivated variety is called Andre, named after the French botanist Eduard Andre who brought it from Brazil. On its basis, varieties such as Superba, Coolidge, Choysean are bred. Besson is grown in India. Russian breeders have developed their own varieties of this fruit - these are the Firstborn, the Crimean Early, Svetly, Nikitsky and others.
The feijoa fruit is an oval berry shaped like a kiwi. But it tastes more like pineapple, strawberry and kiwi combined. You can describe it as follows:
oval shape;
the peel is dense, shiny, light green color;
the flesh is almost transparent and light, with small seeds;
length 3-6 cm (rarely 7 cm);
diameter 2-5 cm;
weight 20-110 g
Feijoa berry has a lot of useful properties. She is even considered a utility champion. Allocate such useful qualities:
It is a natural and very valuable source of iodine. Its water-soluble form is very well absorbed by the body. The content of this element berry overtakes algae, sea fish and various seafood. Only 3 fruits can satisfy our daily need for iodine. Used for the prevention and treatment of diseases caused by a deficiency of this element.
It includes almost all groups of vitamins and many useful substances (trace elements, sucrose, fiber, pectins, etc.). Vitamin C is particularly abundant in the fruit, which makes it possible to use it to fight against colds and to raise general immunity.
It is an excellent tonic and tonic remedy due to the presence of essential oils and vitamins.
It has a very low calorie content - 49 kcal per 100 g, which allows using it in dietology.
Brewing the peel, which contains essential oils, you can do inhalation to relieve swelling and nasal congestion.
It is the prevention of atherosclerosis, avitaminosis and anemia.
It improves blood composition, helps the cardiovascular system and intestines.
Fetal masks are used in cosmetology to relieve inflammation and tighten skin.
There are fruit and some contraindications to use. Not recommended:
hyperthyroidism (high content of thyroid hormone);
diabetes (due to the high sugar content);
children up to a year;
during pregnancy and breastfeeding;
in case of individual intolerance.
Feijoa is consumed in its pure form (with and without peel) and in the form of various culinary dishes. Salads, drinks, yoghurts, jams, compotes, juices and much more are made from it.
You can see this amazing plant not only in the pictures. On the Black Sea coast of our country, it is very common. Fully able to grow a tree with his own hands, it will even bear fruit.
A large number of exotic fruits we can find in stores and markets.
Among them are instances that need special attention.
These include, of course, feijoa. What is feijoa, where does it come from, what does it look like?
What kind of fruit?
Feijoa is a shrub or low fruit. The homeland of the fruit is South America, where Europeans discovered it at the end of the 19th century during a scientific expedition. Soon the feijoa appeared in France. Then this tropical plant began to be bred on the coasts of the Mediterranean and Black Seas, as well as in Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.
Did you know? Feijoa is named after Portuguese João da Silva Feijo, who first described this tropical plant and its edible fruits.
The feijoa fruit is a greenish, sometimes with a blush, oval-shaped berry, about the size of a chicken egg. Under the dense skin is translucent pulp with a few. The rind is rather dense and tart to taste, and the flesh is juicy and tastes like a mixture of kiwi,. Edible is considered the whole fruit, without exception.
Nutritional value and calorie
Since feijoa has a pleasant taste, you can lose control over the amount of fruit eaten. Therefore, for people who are watching their figure, information about the nutritional value and caloric content of this is very important. 
100 g of the product contains 1.24 g of protein, 0.78 g of fat, 10.63 g of carbohydrates, and 49 kCal (205 kJ). You also need to know that per 100 g of fruit accounts for 86 g of water and 0.74 g of ash. It should be borne in mind that these are average indicators. Depending on the place of growth and variety, these figures may vary.
Chemical composition
The fruit of feijoa is a real storehouse of useful substances. It contains their record number - 93. 
The most significant:
- vitamin C;
- b vitamins - B1, B2, niacin, B5, B6, folic acid;
- trace elements - iodine, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, etc .;
- kakhetin, leukoantotsin - biologically active substances;
- apple acid;
- essential oils;
- sucrose;
- cellulose.
Did you know? The amount of iodine in 100 g of feijoa berries can be up to 35 mg. Such indicators are only seafood.
What is the use?
There is no doubt that a large amount of vitamins, minerals and other substances that are present in the fruit, will bring us great benefits. Consider how feijoa is useful for the human body.
First of all, due to the record iodine content, this fruit is able to saturate us with this essential element in a short time. After all, a lack of iodine leads to a deterioration of memory and attention, a person will be sluggish, as if deprived of energy.
Important! Since the fruits are saturated with iodine due to its content in the sea air, fruits grown in close proximity to the sea bring the maximum benefit.
The content of a large amount of vitamin C, biologically active compounds and essential oils makes this exotic fruit a powerful antioxidant and prophylactic against colds and ARVI. 
In addition, sucrose and fiber, which is present in this berry, saturates the stomach well. Therefore, it is considered a dietary product.
Feijoa application
In order for our amazing fruit to bring maximum benefit, you need to know where and how it is applied. And the scope of the fetus is quite wide and diverse.
Treatment
Feijoa is the exotic fruit that is recommended by doctors in the complex therapy for a number of diseases, because they know well how it is useful.
In its raw form, the fruit is used to treat and prevent the following diseases:
- thyroid diseases (with a lack of iodine in the body);
- gastritis;
- pyelonephritis;
- atherosclerosis;
- avitaminosis;
- rheumatism;
- high cholesterol;
- high blood pressure.
In the form of jam, the fruit is used with warm tea for colds and flu, as a means of strengthening the immune system. In dermatology use the essential oils contained in the fruit. They are an excellent anti-inflammatory agent, effective against fungus and a wide range of microbes.
Cosmetology
Such a useful product could not estimate cosmetologists. They include it in the face masks. Such masks rejuvenate, nourish, relieve various inflammations, are especially good during the cold season.
Feijoa fruits can be successfully applied in home cosmetology, so their numerous healing properties will bring you benefit and pleasure, and not harm. 
Here are a few recipes for masks.
- For dry, normal skin: mix into a homogeneous mass a third of a glass of fruit pulp, a little curd, egg yolk and a spoonful of olive oil. Apply to the prepared skin of the face and neck, wait 20 minutes, rinse. You can repeat this mask up to three times a week.
- For skin prone to fat: take half a cup of fruit pulp, a spoonful of camphor alcohol and lemon juice, mix well. Apply for 15 minutes, rinse. The effect of the application will be visible when using this mixture twice a week.
Cooking
Fruit with such a pleasant taste and unmatched aroma was appreciated by chefs. Feijoa can be eaten raw, and can be used in the preparation of various dishes. 
Chopped fresh feijoa fruit will be good in fruit salads. As an addition, it can be served with fish and even meat. You can make jam from raw fruit.
To do this, per kilogram of whole berries twisted in a meat grinder, add 700 g of granulated sugar and mix well. Arrange the fruit mass in small jars and refrigerate.
Important! If the jam is made from raw fruits without the use of heat treatment, then it will retain all the beneficial substances, and hence the properties.
With success, culinary enthusiasts use this exotic fruit when cooking compotes, jams, desserts. Also recommend the use as a filling for baking.
Harm and contraindications
Like any food product, feijoa has beneficial properties and contraindications. 
You can not use this fruit to people who have health problems associated with a high content of iodine in the body. Such diseases include hyperthyroidism and Basedovan disease, and the thyroid gland is under attack.
Due to its high sugar content, fruit is contraindicated for people who are overweight. If a person has diabetes, then his use is likely to be prohibited, although it depends on the extent of the disease and requires consultation with a specialist.
There may also be a banal intolerance to this product. And if its use causes discomfort in the stomach, intestines or an allergic reaction, then this sweet miracle will have to be abandoned. 
It is necessary to cautiously eat feijoa children and lactating mothers.
How to choose, eat, store
In order for the food product to bring maximum benefit to the body, it is first necessary to select it correctly. And feijoa is no exception. Recommendations are as follows.
First inspect the fruit externally. The peel should be dense, without dark spots and wrinkles. It is better to choose larger specimens, they are more ripe. You can ask to cut one fruit along in half.
The flesh should be translucent. If it is brown, then the fruit has ripened, if it is white and opaque, it is not ripe. In such cases, it is not necessary to buy it, it is not suitable for use. 
The ripe feijoa fruit gives off a delicate aroma. Fruits, ripened on a tree, you can try only at the sea, and for transportation fruits are removed unripe, so the flavor may not be.
Feeling iodine deficient in the body? Metabolism disturbed? Is the pressure jumping and constantly gastritis reminds of itself? Do not rush to run to the pharmacy for medicines. You can cope with many diseases by including in your diet feijoa - an exotic fruit that is abundant in counters from mid-November to early January. What is this "fruit"?
Feijoa (Feijoa) hails from South America. This fruit grows in Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay and in the north of Argentina. Currently feioch grows in the south of our country - in the Krasnodar Territory, in the subtropical part of the Caucasus and the Crimea, as well as in Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. It is mainly from these places that exotic fruits for Russians come to our markets.
If you touch the story, it is known that this "born" fruit in the 19th century. Studying plants, especially edible, the researchers paid special attention to greenish fruits growing on small evergreen trees.
The name of the fruit received on behalf of the discoverer, the Brazilian naturalist - Joao da Silva Feijho.
Feijoa - one of the most cold-resistant tropical plants - suffers frosts up to -14 degrees without any special damage.
What are the benefits of feijoa and what diseases are treated?
First of all, feijoa is the only plant that by its content iodine can be compared with seafood. And why our body iodine? And so that the memory was good, so that the thinking processes are not inhibited.
We have iodine in our bodies - we are cheerful, cheerful, full of strength and energy, we can do a lot. If there is no iodine, we feel weak, become lethargic and quickly tire.
In addition to the high iodine content in feijoa, there are 93 beneficial substances, and that is why feijoa can be considered a piggy bank of beneficial substances. It has almost all the vitamins, fiber, pectins, malic acid, essential sugars, micro-and macronutrients.
Besides thyroid diseaseassociated with a lack of iodine in the body, feijoa fruits are recommended to be used when atherosclerosis, hypo-and avitaminosis, inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, gastritis, pyelonephritis. Also, fairly quickly, feijoa helps to regulate metabolism, reduce pressure and “calm” the heart. And if you are concerned about skin problems, then the essential oil of the fruit, which has anti-inflammatory properties, will help to cope with this problem.
Feijoa taste and smell reminds a combination of strawberry, kiwi and pineapple. Imagine how much you can vary the dishes! From small green fruits make jam, jams, compotes, desserts, salads and sauces. Feijoa is well combined with various seafood, especially with noble fish - black cod, sea wolf and others.
The fish can be stuffed with feijoa, and you can just serve feijoa as 
side dish To her. Fruits taste attached to the pork and poultry meat. In the garnish, feijoa looks good with boiled small vegetables - carrots, Brussels sprouts, zucchini. But it is better not to heat the fruits themselves, as they become too soft.
Before you get acquainted with some recipes, you need to know how to choose feijoa. In order not to be mistaken and buy good fruits, you need to cut one berry along: if the flesh is transparent, then the fruit is ripe. If the fruit is brown, do not rush to buy it, it is already spoiled. Well, if the flesh is white and opaque - the fruit is not ripe.
Raw fruit retain all their properties no more than a week, and therefore buying with a stock, remember that it is best to use them immediately in cooking (for example, just wipe with sugar).
So, several delicious and healthy recipes that not only diversify your kitchen, but also easily decorate the festive table on New Year's Eve.
"Raw jam".
To grind the feijoa fruits (in a meat grinder or blender) to a slurry, you do not need to peel the skin first (there are a lot of vitamins). The resulting mass is mixed with sugar in a 1: 1 ratio (who loves more, then 1: 1.5). Arrange in pasteurized jars and store in the refrigerator. You can also add crushed walnuts or hazelnuts to this jam.
"Ginger Jam"
Grind feijoa, mix with sugar (20% by weight of fruits), add water and put to boil for six hours, occasionally removing skins and stirring. You need to cook on low heat or even better - in a water bath. Try adding fresh grated ginger to the jam. The combination of spicy ginger and fragrant feijoa will give the usual jam a new taste and depth. The resulting jam is better to pass through a sieve to separate the seeds, ginger fibers and other unnecessary parts.
“Feijoa sauce”
Feijoa sauce is also prepared without adding sugar. To make it hot, it's best to add a little garlic, white or black pepper. Especially well this sauce is combined with meat dishes and poultry dishes.
"Beet salad with feijoa and nuts"
Ingredients: 1 medium beet, 100-200 g of feijoa, several walnuts, vegetable oil, salt.
Boil the beets and peel and grate. Feijoa clean and finely chopped. Grind nuts. Mix all ingredients and season with vegetable oil and salt. Vegetable dietary salad contains fiber and vitamins, has a low calorie content, which makes it very useful for health and for weight loss after a rich feast.
"Pork salad with feijoa and lime"
Pork rinse, dry and cut into thin strips. Feijoa and lime wash and cut into circles. Onions cut into thin strips. Heat vegetable oil well in a frying pan. Roast the pork slices for 3 minutes. Then add lime, feijoa and onions. Cook for 3 more minutes. Add soy sauce, red wine, add paprika and chopped cashews. Stir and remove from heat. Mix from different types of lettuce tear to pieces and mix with mayonnaise and low-fat yogurt. Unusual holiday salad ready!
"Chicken with feijoa"
Peel the chicken meat and cut it into pieces of approximately 4x6 cm. Next, prepare the marinade from lemon juice, warm water, salt, sugar, spices for chicken and bay leaf. Pieces of chicken put in marinade and hold there for 2.5 hours. At this time, feijoa clean and cut across thin circles (approximately 0.3cm). After the marinade, place the chicken in a frying pan with high edges, add a little marinade there and then transfer the pieces of feijoa to the chicken pieces. Sprinkle parmesan grated on a fine grater on top, add a few cilantro sprigs and cover with foil, bending it over the edges of the pan. Bake for about 50 minutes at 150s.
“Feijoa Tincture with Cranberries”
Half a cup of cranberry wash and crush. Feijoa (200 g) Wash, peel and cut arbitrarily. Put everything in a 700 ml container. Prepare sugar syrup: Dissolve 50 g of sugar in 75 ml of water and bring to a boil. Syrup pour into a container of berries. Fill the container with vodka to full, mix and close. Insist in a dark place for at least a week.
These are just some of the recipes with feijoa. But this is quite enough to diversify your diet and festive table with something new. And remember, your health is in your hands!
Homeland of Feijoa - South America. Fruits grow in Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Argentina, in the south of Russia, in the Crimea, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, from where they are delivered to the markets. The name "feijoa" fruit received on behalf of Joao da Silva Feijho. This naturalist from Brazil was the first to discover valuable cold-resistant (able to carry frost -14 degrees) tropical fruits.
Description and properties of feijoa
If you touch the description of the fruit feijoa, then it is a large, green, fleshy, juicy berry, having an elongated-oval, spherical shape. The length of the fruit is from 2 to 7 cm, diameter - 1.5-4 cm, weight varies between 15-60 g. In its flavor and taste, feijoa is similar to strawberries, pineapple and kiwi. The flesh of the fruit is protected by a bumpy green rind.
The most valuable thing in feijoa is a large percentage of iodine. 100 grams of pulp contains up to 40 grams of easily digestible iodine compounds. People suffering from thyroid disease must include this fruit in their diet. In addition, the beneficial properties of feijoa fruit can be attributed to a high concentration in the pulp of vitamin C. Because of this, this product just needs to be used for such illnesses as:
- anemia;
- hypovitaminosis;
- weak immune system;
- violations of the digestive tract.
An interesting fact is that the beneficial properties of the feijoa fruit are contained both in the pulp and in the skin. It is in the peel that many pectin and various antioxidant nutrients are concentrated to prevent the development of atherosclerosis. In total, feijoa has 93 beneficial elements, among which there are even amino acids with essential oils.
These tasty berries are able to raise immunity and stop bacterial attacks at the initial stage.
It should be noted and the harmful properties of the fruit feijoa and these fruits can not all. Some people have an allergy to feijoa. These are isolated cases, but they are. Occurs individual intolerance to the fruit. For those who suffer from diabetes, feijoa is contraindicated because the fruit contains sugar. With obesity, you should also not abuse these berries.
Pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding, you first need to consult with your doctor and only then include feijoa in the diet. Planning to give feijoa berries to a child for the first time also does not hurt to consult a pediatrician or nurse.
How to choose feijoa fruit, cost and storage
The main thing before choosing a feijoa fruit is to know that they are usually sold hard, unripe (this is a brought fruit), but the most important thing is that the integrity of the fruit, the skin, should not be damaged. After a little lying down, the fruits will ripen themselves, but they will not lose useful properties. Buy need to fruit without stains and damage, with a uniform dark green skin. Inside the feijóm, the pulp should not be brown, otherwise the fruit is spoiled. Sellers need to ask to cut the fruit in half to assess the condition of the pulp.
How to have feijoa or delicious recipes
Feijoa called convenient fruit, because it can be eaten in any form. True, not everyone knows how to eat feijoa in order to get maximum pleasure from this tasty fruit. Ripe feijoa berries are tasty by themselves, frozen preserved until six months, without losing useful properties. Dried feijoa differs in taste and aroma. Jam and jam of these fruits are able to raise the immune system.
The most common use of feijoa is peeled. Feijoa salads are peeled on the principle of potatoes and cut into slices. With the hard skin of feijoa, cut into 2 pieces and a teaspoon scoop out the flesh.
Frequently asked questions about what the feijoa fruit, which has a sour-sweet, delicate fruit flavor, is eaten with. Feijoa can be combined with fish dishes, poultry meat. Low-fat baked veal feijoa berries will give a spicy taste. In feijoa salads it is better to combine with spinach, arugula, nuts.
Feijoa Jam Recipes
The most valuable is “live” jam. Prepare it like this:
- The fruits are washed, dried on a paper towel;
- Cut tails, cut each feijoa into 2 or 4 parts;
- Fruits are ground with a blender or grinder;
- The crushed feijoa is mixed with sugar (1: 1 ratio);
- Put the mixture in sterilized jars and keep in the refrigerator.
Raw feijoa jam and apples
This type of jam will require 1 kg of apples, feijoa and sugar. And still need 1 lemon.
- we clear apples of seeds and we cut;
- remove the stalks and cut into large pieces;
- lemon cut into several parts, removing seeds;
- grind in a meat grinder and mix with sugar and lemon.
Feijoa is an unusual name for our ears. The feijoa's inconspicuous fruits, although appearing on the shelves all the time, have not yet become popular to the extent they deserve.
What is feijoa, how are the fruits useful, where did this plant come from?
What is feijoa?
Feijoa is from the tropics, a native of South America, but before the war it was brought to Transcaucasia, where it got accustomed. And now most often on the shelves of feijoa fruit from there.
The time of its active fruiting is in November-December, therefore, in November, these still unusual fruits appear on the market stalls. Often, in order to attract buyers, sellers put signs next to the feijoa where they are trying to tell what kind of exotic fruit it is and what it is eaten with.
However, people are not actively buying up subtropical exotic, apparently not too trusting homemade advertising. In various books and articles it is written that "feijoa fruits are very tasty and fragrant, and their smell resembles a mixture of strawberries, pineapple and something else very pleasant." Have you tried? Do not be disappointed - in order for this taste to be fully manifested, the fruits must be ripe, and ripe fruits cannot be transported.
Nothing wrong with that, feijoa perfectly matures during storage. If you bought hard fruit, wait patiently until it is soft to the touch. Then the feijoa pulp will look like jelly and acquire a real taste and aroma. And the useful properties of “artificial” ripening, according to experts, are not lost.
Useful properties of feijoa
The benefits of feijoa are hard to overestimate! First of all, feijoa is the only plant that can be compared with seafood by iodine content. A unique property of feijoa fruits grown under natural conditions is the presence of water-soluble iodine compounds in them (up to 40 m per 100 g of pulp). This they owe to the sea breezes, carrying with it volatile iodine. So the true value are only the fruits that have grown under the real sun by the real sea.
In both scientific and traditional medicine, feijoa fruits are used in the treatment of thyroid disease. They are recommended to be used also in hypo-and avitaminosis C, inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, gastritis, pyelonephritis.
"The ripe feijoa fruits are very tasty and fragrant, and their smell is reminiscent of a mixture of strawberries, pineapple and something else very pleasant. Have you already tried?"
In addition to thyroid diseases associated with iodine deficiency in the body, fresh, boiled or rubbed with sugar feijoa fruits are very useful for people suffering from atherosclerosis.
When using feijoa fruit, a certain contradiction arises between taste and benefit. The fact is that the rind of fruits is in principle edible and, moreover, very useful, as it contains such phenolic compounds as catechins and leucoanthocyanins, biologically active substances that are strong antioxidants that help prevent cancer. But, possessing a tart, astringent taste, the rind spoils the taste of the product.
You can do it simply: peel the fruit, dry the peel and brew with the tea so that no antioxidant is lost. And from the peeled fruits you can prepare a lot of delicious dishes: this is salads, meat sauces, various pastries. Especially delicious is the feijoa jam or jam. And the easiest way is to skip the feijoa through a meat grinder and cover it with sugar (in a ratio: 0.71 kg of sugar per 1 kg of feijoa, and if stored at room temperature, then up to 2 kg of sugar). Such “raw” jam is very useful for improving immunity.
So, after seeing the feijoa, buy and try - you will not regret!