Ecuadorian fruit: guaba. It is not guayaba

One of the best ways to experience Ecuador is by tasting some of the exotic and delicious fruits available all around the country.

With this in mind, we have created a series of blog posts highlighting some of the fruit, desserts, and food that will make your visit to Ecuador unforgettable.

When you visit some of our local markets, you will discover fruit that you’ve’ never seen or heard of before. We can help you find out what fruit it is and how to enjoy it through a series of blog posts.

Today we want to share all about guaba, an exotic sweet fruit that is not found as easily but if you can find it, make sure to try it.

What is the difference between guayaba and guaba

A guaba is a large fruit that looks like a peapod, and inside, it has black seeds covered in the white pulp, whereas guayabas are round, with a vibrant orange color inside.

You can learn all about guayaba or guava in this blog post. 

If you are in South America, I would love to see your pictures.

What is guaba, and how is it eaten

This is a fruit that looks like a giant green peapod with big black seeds that are inedible. The seeds are covered by a fleshy and sweet pulp that you bite and then spit out the seed.

Because of its shape, the fruit is also called a “monkey’s tail” or an ice cream bean.

Guaba is a plant native to Ecuador, Colombia, Perú, Venezuela, Guatemala, and El Salvador.

What it tastes like

The fleshy pulp is soft and sweet, and it has a slight vanilla flavor.

We got a really nice description of this fruit here:

“It tastes sweet (not too sweet) with a hint of vanilla. When you first put it in your mouth, it is very fuzzy, but as it gets wet it gets very slippery. Then you have to try to scrap the white stuff off with your teeth “ Monica Richter from EXPATS Ecuador Living and Beyond group on FB

How and where to eat guaba

You don’t’ need any fancy tools to open the outer casing. This means that many people open them with their teeth or hands. As you can see, we have a picture showing that.

You can find this fruit for sale in local markets, small fruterias (fruit shops), or street vendors, but not all the time.

If you love tasting different fruit, check out the Top 7 exotic fruits to taste in Ecuador.

Have you tasted guaba before?

Let us know here!

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