Vitamin C is 21 times more than that of apples! This fruit is perfect for spring

There is a kind of fruit that “people who love it love it to death, and people who hate it hate it to death”, and it is guava.

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Some guavas have a sweet and soft taste, while others have a crisp and sweet taste. For southerners, guava is a unique and delicious fruit that is very tasty, but many northerners don't like it very much. What kind of magical fruit is guava? How to eat it to make it more delicious? Let's take a look in this article.

Guava Nutrition

Guava, also known as chicken shit (arrow) fruit, trumpet fruit, and pull fruit, has another name that we all know: guava. Although the word "pomegranate" is in the name, it has nothing to do with the pomegranate we eat.

Guava is a fruit of the genus Psidium in the Myrtaceae family , while pomegranate is a fruit of the genus Punica in the genus Lythraceae family .

Image: iPlant Plant Intelligence

Guava is a tropical fruit native to tropical South America. It is also grown in Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Fujian, Hainan and other places in my country. It can be eaten raw, and can also be processed into fruit wine, fruit vinegar, juice, jam and other foods. Although we can eat guava all year round, the taste of guava in spring is particularly rich and nutritious.

1

Dietary fiber

The dietary fiber content of guava is very outstanding , up to 5.9g/100g, which is higher than the kiwi, banana, peach, orange, cantaloupe and other fruits we often eat, and 3.5 times that of apples. Guava is also rich in pectin , especially red guava, which can absorb water and swell, promote gastrointestinal motility, and improve constipation.

However, it is important to remind you that because guava is rich in dietary fiber and pectin, you must drink plenty of water when eating guava, so that the dietary fiber can fully absorb water and the stool can become soft and easy to discharge. Otherwise, you may get constipated ! In addition, unripe guava tastes sour and astringent, and has a high tannic acid content, which can also increase the risk of constipation.

2

Vitamin C

The vitamin C content of guava is an excellent player among fruits , at 68mg/100g, which is higher than kiwi, orange, strawberry, and lemon, and 21 times that of apple . Literature data also shows that the vitamin C content of guava varieties such as "Ruby", "Pink Honey", "Watermelon", and "Water Honey" is as high as 157mg/100g, 140mg/100g, 136mg/100g, and 152mg/100g respectively.

A fist-sized guava weighs about 100 grams, and eating one can almost meet the average adult's daily vitamin C requirement.

Picture: 1 fist-sized guava, about 100 grams

3

Mineral Potassium

Guava is rich in potassium , which is 235mg/100g, which is comparable to that of banana. Eating it regularly can help us stabilize blood pressure .

4

Antioxidant ingredients

Guava is rich in flavonoids , such as kaempferol, quercetin, quercetin, isoquercetin, guajava glycosides, etc. They have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, can help us remove excess free radicals in the body, reduce the body's inflammatory response , and are also helpful in anti-tumor.
In addition, the calories of guava are not high, 53kcal/100g, which is comparable to the calories of apples, and the fat content is only 0.4g/100g, which is very friendly for those who need to lose weight and control their weight.

The taste of guava

People have mixed opinions about the texture and taste of guava. Some say that guava is like cream ice cream, sweet and sour and delicious; some say that guava is hard and tasteless; and some think that guava tastes bad.

The reason for this divergence has a lot to do with the variety and maturity of guava . Guava is a close relative of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and ripe guava emits a strong musky smell that comes from cinnamic acid esters and several sulfides .

Guava pulp contains many small seeds, hundreds of them, and each guava pulp contains 150 to 650 seeds. These small seeds are also very nutritious, rich in dietary fiber and unsaturated fatty acids . There are also many sandy stone cells, which can be felt when chewing. Usually, it can not only be eaten fresh, but also mashed and made into juice.

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The most common guavas on the market are red-heart guavas and white-heart guavas . Red-heart guavas are softer, smoother, sweeter and more juicy than white-heart guavas. White-heart guavas generally taste sour and crispy, soft in the middle and crispy on the outside, and their aroma is not as strong as that of red-heart guavas. However, there is also a kind of "cream guava" on the market. Although it has a white heart, it is sweet and soft, and is called the "cream cake" of the fruit world.

Guava is a respiratory climacteric fruit, and it can gradually ripen itself after being picked . As the maturity of guava increases, its edible quality and taste will gradually improve. Guava that has just begun to mature has a hard texture, less juice, a strong astringent taste, and a poor taste; as the fruit matures, the texture gradually becomes softer, the skin turns yellow, the total sugar content gradually increases, and the taste becomes sweeter.

Therefore, if the guava skin you buy is relatively green, don't rush to eat it. Let it sit for a few days until the skin turns yellow and the fruit softens slightly before eating it . The taste will be better. However, I would like to remind you that the skin of guava is thin and tender, and it is easy to be bruised and then spoil. It is also easy for the skin to lose water, soften and rot if stored at room temperature for a long time.

It is best to store the purchased mature guava at a low temperature, but not too low. If it is below 5℃, it will easily get frostbite. 8~10℃ is the most suitable temperature. This temperature can inhibit the respiration intensity and rate of the guava, allowing it to be preserved for 2~3 weeks and reduce nutrient loss.

The " divine " way to eat guava

The simplest and most direct way to eat guava is to wash it and eat it directly. Foodies are very creative and have invented many strange ways to eat it. The taste is also very good. If you are interested, you can try it.

①****With yogurt : Cut the guava into small pieces, put it into sugar-free yogurt and mix well. It has a sweet and sour taste and a mellow milky flavor.

② With sour plum powder : Cut the guava into small pieces and sprinkle with sour plum powder. The sweetness of guava and the sour fragrance of sour plum will make you have an endless aftertaste.

③Serve with chili salt : Sprinkle the cut guava with chili salt, which tastes sour, sweet, salty and spicy and activates the taste buds.

④DIY juicing : After squeezing guava juice, add milk, sugar-free yogurt, lemon juice, vegetable juice, etc. to create a unique flavor.

In addition, the taste of eating with a spoon and eating directly is also different!

Summarize:

Eating one guava can provide us with a wealth of dietary fiber, mineral potassium, vitamin C and antioxidant ingredients. It is nutritious, sweet and sour, and can be eaten in many ways. Are you eager to eat guava? Why not cut one now!

References

[1] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[2] Guo Shoujun, Yang Dongjuan, Qi Xiaojun, Guo Lin, Shen Yun, Yang Yongli. Analysis of nutritional components in different parts of pearl guava and red guava[J]. Journal of Hanshan Normal University, 2023, 44(3): 24-31

[3] Hao Baoyan, Liu Qingxu, Sun Jingyong. Research progress on chemical composition and pharmacological activity of guava fruit[J]. Food and Drug, 2022, 24(6): I0026

[4] Harold Mackey, Food and Cooking: Vegetables, Fruits, Spices, and Grains. Translated by Cai Chengzhi. Beijing Fine Arts Photography Publishing House. August 2013.

[5] Chen Hongbin, Lin Yixiong, Chen Nanquan, Lin Fuxing, Lin Hetong. Research progress on postharvest processing and preservation technology of guava fruit[J]. Packaging and Food Machinery, 2013, 31(5): 39-43

[6] Yu Maolan, Chen Yulong, Xu Yujuan, Wu Jijun, Wang Shengyou, Fu Manqin. Study on the quality change of guava under different storage temperatures[J]. Guangdong Agricultural Sciences, 2014, 41(8): 122-127138

Planning and production

Author: Xue Qingxin, registered nutritionist

Review丨Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

Planning丨Yinuo

Editor: Yinuo