Guava
ฝรั่ง
Farang: eaten crisp and green, dipped in sugar, salt and chilli.
Thai guava is eaten green and crunchy, not soft and ripe. It is pale green, with crisp, white flesh that is mildly sweet and refreshing, and it is one of the most common fruits on Thai fruit carts.
The Thai word for guava, farang, is also the word for a Westerner. One explanation is that the fruit was brought to Thailand by Portuguese traders; another is that the word for Westerner came from “Frank”. Either way, Thais enjoy the joke.
| Pronunciation | fa-rang |
|---|---|
| Flavour | Crisp, mildly sweet and slightly tart, like a cross between apple and pear |
| Season | Year-round |
| Eaten | Crisp and green, with prik kluea; as juice |
How it is eaten
Cut into wedges, with the seedy core usually removed, and dipped in prik kluea: a mixture of sugar, salt and dried chilli flakes. It is also pressed into a pale pink juice, sold chilled with a pinch of salt.
Varieties
Kim Ju is a popular, seedless, very crunchy variety. Pan Sitong is large, sweet and crisp. Pink-fleshed guavas are less common in Thailand and are softer and more fragrant.
Choosing and storing
For the Thai style, choose firm, pale green guavas that are heavy for their size. They keep for about a week in the fridge. Left at room temperature they soften, turn yellow and become sweeter and more fragrant.
Cook’s tipMake your own prik kluea: two parts sugar, one part salt and one part dried chilli flakes, pounded briefly in a mortar. It is good on guava, green mango, pineapple and rose apple.
More Fruits
- Mango มะม่วง
- Mangosteen มังคุด
- Durian ทุเรียน
- Rambutan เงาะ
- Longan ลำไย
- Lychee ลิ้นจี่
- Pomelo ส้มโอ
- Jackfruit ขนุน
- Coconut มะพร้าว
- Banana กล้วย
- Pineapple สับปะรด
- Rose Apple ชมพู่
- Dragon Fruit แก้วมังกร
- Lime มะนาว
- Ripe Papaya มะละกอสุก
- Watermelon แตงโม
- Longkong ลองกอง
- Salak สละ
- Santol กระท้อน
- Sapodilla ละมุด
- Custard Apple น้อยหน่า
- Thai Tangerine ส้มสายน้ำผึ้ง
- Marian Plum มะปราง
- Toddy Palm Fruit ลูกตาล
- Star Fruit มะเฟือง