Winter is in full bloom and this means so too are the thriving guava orchards in the Drakenstein Valley.
Who remembers their grandma’s delicious desert of guavas preserved in a delicious syrup and served with piping hot custard? Or a yummy pie of guava crumble?
But even just to bite into a fresh just-ripe guava is a delicious experience.
And not to forget, this little underestimated yellow fruit with it’s exotic pink flesh is a superfruit containing high levels of vitamin C, lycopene and antioxidants, just the perfect thing to include in one’s diet in the winter months to help ward off dreaded colds and flues.
It indeed is a powerhouse of nutrients. This humble fruit is extraordinarily rich in antioxidants that are beneficial for the skin. Guavas are also rich in manganese, which helps the body absorb other key nutrients from the food one eats. Guavas’ benefits are credited to the presence of folate, a mineral that helps promote fertility.
The potassium in guavas helps normalise blood pressure levels as well. In fact, a banana and a guava contain almost the same amount of potassium.
A 100 g serving of the fruit contains just 68 calories and 8,92 g sugar, according to the data of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Guavas are also rich in calcium as they contain 18 g of the mineral per 100 g of the fruit. It also contains 22 g of magnesium per 100 g of the fruit as well as significant amounts of phosphorus and potassium – 40 and 417 g per 100 g, respectively.
Are guavas are one of the richest sources of vitamin C? It’s true. Guava fruit contains four times the vitamin C content present in oranges. Vitamin C helps improve immunity and protects you against common infections and pathogens. Moreover, it keeps one’s eyes healthy.
Guava is one of the richest sources of dietary fibre. Besides immunity, guava does wonders to skin and also promotes fertility. Guava also helps in regulating metabolism which leads to weight loss.
Due to the rich fibre content and low glycaemic index, guavas can prevent the development of diabetes. While the low glycemic index inhibits a sudden spike in sugar levels, the fibre content ensures the sugar levels are well regulated.
It is also regarded as a potent antioxidant.
The guava is a tropical fruit which originated in tropical America (Mexico and Peru). The Portuguese distributed guavas worldwide, reaching Mpumalanga from Mozambique and the Western Cape from Madeira, during the 19th century.
The first commercial guava orchard was planted in Paarl in 1890 by Faan Retief.
The guava trees that still grow at the Palmiet Valley Estate (in Klein Drakenstein on the Sonstraal Road) are direct descendants of the original cultivars brought to South Africa.
And to celebrate this cheeky little fruit, The Hurst Campus in Paarl recently held a Quava Challenge among its students.
Thirty of its culinary art students embarked on a two-month journey learning more about this super fruit and creating their own original guava inspired recipes.
Students churned out very interesting dishes, from baked goods and delicious deserts, to very tasty savoury main courses.
Last week the top six dishes were revealed at a small function at The Hurst Campus, presented by the SA Guava Growers Association.
Among the dishes were perfectly cooked lamb-loin cutlets with guava glaze, a guava tartlet, guava baklava-style millie-feuille and even a guava-infused koeksister.
It must have been an extremely difficult task for the judges to decide on a winner as each dish was unique, delicious and extremely well executed.
But at the end of the day there could be only one winner, second-year student Kumbirai Putire from Zimbabwe with guava-glazed pork belly served with Asian sticky rice and sautéed veggies
KUMBIRAI’S GUAVA GLAZED PORK BELLY
Ingredients
. Pork belly
. 125 ml Guava nectar
. 125 ml Water
. 125 ml Brown sugar
. 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
. 1 tbsp Soy sauce
. 2 tsp Crushed garlic
. 1 tsp Paprika
. 1 tsp Cayenne pepper
. Half a chopped onion
. Chillies
. Salt and pepper
Method for sauce
. Fry off garlic and onions until translucent. Add cayenne pepper, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and chilli and make sure they cook through. Add your guava nectar, sugar, and water and leave to reduce. Add salt to taste
Pork belly
. Season the pork belly generously with salt and pepper.. Place in a casserole with stock and let it cook for 2 hours at 220° covered in foil.. Remove the foil and score the skin with a sharp knife.. Leave in the oven to allow the skin to crisp up.
In a frying pan place some of the sauce and toss in the pork belly until fully coated. Serve with veggies such as green beans, carrots, baby marrow and broccoli.
