Feichoa, an exotic fruit that should not be missing from your plate!

Have you ever tried fejchou?

If not, you should definitely fix it!

It’s a delicious fruit with lots of health benefits and you can use it in a variety of recipes.

Come learn more about this crop with us!

What exactly is feijoa?

Feichoa is a fruit that looks similar to guava. It comes from Brazil and contains high amounts of vitamin C. It has a lime green skin and tastes like a combination of strawberry, guava and pineapple. The small green fruits grow on a plant from the Myrtaceae family.

Health benefits of consuming feijoa

Feichoa has many health benefits such as:

• treats inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis,
• has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects,
• helps prevent constipation
• has anti-cancer effects,
• supports heart health,
• improves mood
• strengthens the immune system,
• regulates blood pressure,
• supports metabolism.

Traditional use of fejchoy

• In native countries, feijoa is used to treat thyroid disease due to its high iodine content.
• A tea made from the fruit and flowers is useful in the treatment of diarrhea and dysentery.
• In Paraguay, the crushed flower is applied to minor burns, rashes, stings, insect bites, and itchy and inflamed areas.
• Lotions prepared from the flowers are useful to relieve sunburn.
• Fruit slices are used in the form of poultices.
• Due to the higher content of vitamin C in feijoa, it is usually used to treat common colds and fevers.

Nutritional values of fejchoy

In the following table, see a comparison of the nutritional values of fresh feijoa and guava in 100 grams.

Feichoy vitamins and minerals

Also look at the amount of minerals and vitamins that 100 grams of fresh fejchoy vs. contains guavas.

Where to buy fejcha and how to store it?

You can find Fejchou, for example, in Makro or online at Rohlík. Always choose fresh pieces. You can recognize them by the fact that the fruits will be dark green and will exude a distinct fruity aroma. Avoid pieces with various surface defects. A feijoa is said to be ripe when it yields to the gentle pressure of a thumb.

Once ripe, feijoa spoils quickly if stored outside at room temperature for more than two days. If not used soon, it should be refrigerated for 1-2 days. However, it will last several months in the freezer.

Feichoy species

There are more than 15 varieties of fejchoy. The most popular ones include:

• Feichoa Apollo
  The fruit is mildly fragrant and has a sweet, juicy taste. The skin is rough.
• Feichoa Opal Star
  Juicy, delicately flavored fruit with a smooth, dark green skin.
• Feichoa Gemini
  These are small to medium-sized fruits with a smooth, dark green skin. They have a strong taste.
• Feichoa Pounamu
  Medium-sized, egg-shaped fruits with a smooth, dark green skin. They have a mild taste.
• Feichoa Kakapo
  A juicy, full-flavored fruit that has a rough skin.

How to use fejcho in the kitchen?

They say that feijoa is as versatile as bananas and apples. So if you have a recipe using one of these two types of fruit, just replace it in a 1:1 ratio with fejchoya pulp.

Of course, fejcha can also be consumed fresh, used in cocktails, the flowers from the tree can be soaked in hot water to make tea or you can add them to salads, and the leaves can be used to smoke various dishes.

Jams, chutneys, liqueurs, salsas, juices, sorbets and balsamic vinegar are also prepared from feijoa.

Here are some more tips on how to use feychou :

• Juice it and you will have a great drink.
• Its aromatic slices can be a great addition to salads.
• Add it to muffins and cakes.
• Add the flesh to stew, pudding or various cakes.
• Make wine, cider or infuse it in vodka.
• Use the pulp in smoothies, ice cream or yogurt.
• Add it to fruit salads.

Prepare fresh feicha as follows :

1. Check if the fruit is ripe.
2. You can find this out by gently squeezing the feycho. If it is ripe, it will yield to pressure and you may notice a dimple in the area where you squeezed it.
3. Using a knife, cut the feicha in half lengthwise.
4. The flesh inside the fruit should look clear and gelatinous.
5. Use a spoon to scoop out the pulp.
6. You can eat it straight away or use it in a dish.

Use in recipes

• ice cream
• smoothies
• muffins
• vegetable salads
• fruit salads
• platoon

Cultivation of fejchoa

Aka edible is an evergreen tree from the Myrtaceae family that grows as a shrub or small tree. It is grown in a mild, dry climate for its tasty fruits. It comes from southern Brazil, Uruguay, part of Colombia, northern Argentina and southern Paraguay. It is grown in South American countries, but also in Libya, Algeria, Israel, India, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, where, however, its planting is not officially recommended due to fruit flies. The tree is about 5 meters tall. The fruit is approximately 5 cm long and dull green in colour. The fruits fall off when ripe and must then be kept in a cool place until they soften.

History of fejchoa

The feijoa is native to southern Brazil, northern Argentina, western Paraguay and Uruguay, where it is commonly found in the mountains. In 1815, botanist Freidrich Sellow first collected feicha in the wilds of southern Brazil. However, the credit for introducing fejchoa to Europe and North America goes to the well-known French botanist and gardener Edouard Andre, who brought the plant from La Plata, Brazil, and planted it in his garden on the French Riviera.

The German botanist Otto Karl Berg named the fejcha after João da Silva Feijó, a Portuguese botanist born in the colony of Brazil. Feijó was the director of the Natural History Museum in San Sebastian, Spain during the colonial period.