Guava
Get to know guava — a local fruit with some of the highest vitamin C content around. Nutrition facts, health benefits, and tips for picking ripe guava.
What Is Guava?
Guava (Psidium guajava) is a local fruit with green skin and flesh that can be white, pink, or dark red depending on the variety. Its texture is crisp and juicy, with small seeds scattered throughout the inside. This fruit grows abundantly almost everywhere in Indonesia and has long been part of everyday habits, from being eaten as a snack to becoming a favorite juice in many local restaurants.
Although often seen as a "plain" fruit that's cheap and easy to find, guava actually has one of the highest vitamin C contents among local fruits — even beating oranges.
Nutritional Content of Guava
Per 100 grams of fresh guava:
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| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~68 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | ~14 g |
| Fiber | ~5.4 g |
| Vitamin C | ~228 mg |
| Potassium | ~417 mg |
Just one medium-sized guava can already cover more than the average adult's daily vitamin C needs.
Health Benefits
- Very high in vitamin C — helps maintain the body's immune system and speeds up wound healing.
- Rich in fiber — good for digestion and helps you feel full longer.
- Believed to help maintain platelet levels — juice from guava leaves and fruit is traditionally known among the community as a supportive remedy during dengue fever (medical treatment is still required).
- Relatively low glycemic index — making it a friendlier fruit choice for managing blood sugar compared to other sweet fruits.
How to Eat Guava
- Eaten fresh — just wash it clean; it can be eaten with or without the skin depending on preference.
- Guava juice — blended with a little water and sugar, then strained to remove the hard seeds.
- Rujak (Indonesian fruit salad) — chunks of young guava are one of the ingredients in this fresh and crunchy Indonesian specialty.
- Jam or preserves (manisan) — ripe guava cooked with sugar to spread on bread or enjoy as a sweet snack.
How to Choose & Store
- choose ones with smooth skin, a fresh green color, and slight softness when pressed as a sign of ripeness
- the distinctive guava aroma should be noticeable even before cutting
- avoid ones with lots of brown spots, that are too soft, or have holes from worms
- guavas that are still a bit firm can be kept at room temperature until ripe
- once ripe, store in the refrigerator to slow down spoilage
- lasts around 3-5 days in the refrigerator once fully ripe
Practical Tips
- Strain guava juice twice — the small seeds are quite hard and can affect the drink's texture if not strained thoroughly.
- Choose red guava for a more appealing juice color — it also tends to taste sweeter than the white variety.
- Eat it with the skin on if you want maximum fiber intake, since most of guava's fiber is in and near the skin.
- Store ripe guava separately from firmer ones — the natural gas from ripe fruit can speed up the ripening of other fruits nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the seeds be eaten, or should they be removed?
Is it true that guava juice helps with dengue fever?
What's the difference between red and white guava?
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