Fruity Fetish: Mexican Guava

I'm always enamored with the selection of fresh fruits available in California, so I'm sharing my love with you with my new series: Fruity Fetish where I'm posting snapshots of the fruits (and maybe even veggies) that's making its way into my kitchen.

Today, I'm lusting over the sweetly intoxicating scent of ripe Mexican Guavas.  They're miniature in size, but big in taste and so much more fragrant than the ones grown in my backyard.  I love my guavas with a bit of crunch, so I eat them green and unripe, skin on and all. The seeds can be a bit of a challenge (and my parents tell me it may cause constipation...yikes!) so depending on how large the seeds are, I sometimes forego them.

But here's the kicker: According to my mom, the leaves of the guava plant have medicinal purposes since they can be boiled and steeped to prepare a tea that can be used to cure digestive problems. Back in Laos, my mom's family raised pigs and every time their pigs had a bout of diarrhea, she'd boil the leaves of the guava plant and have her pigs drink the tea with the leaves and all! Apparently, it's an herbal remedy that worked amazingly well for her piglets and to this day, it's something she swears by even for us! It appears that guavas are packed full of natural antioxidants and antimicrobial agents that make it a prime herbal remedy for aiding digestive health. I love it when I can ward off my ailments with plants in our backyard. 

Mexican Guava | Photography via Chandara Creative

Guava Tea (for curing diarrhea)
Makes 1 pot

Ingredients 
• 1 handful fresh guava leaves, washed & coarsely chopped
• 3-4 cups water

• Instructions:
• 1. Boil guava leaves in water. Turn heat to low, and continue to steep guava leaves in tea for at least 30 minutes (the longer, the better). Turn off heat, strain out leaves, and drink a cup every 1.5-2 hours.