Guava Delight: See the creative works India’s food culture welcomes the seasonal fruit

Even though the Christmas season is over for a few months, some of its festive foods are still available. Among them is the Goan delicacy known as “guava cheese.” This translucent crimson dessert, similar to halwa, is produced in Goa from the pulp of slightly overripe guavas, sugar, red food coloring, and a shortening agent. This confection, a product of the Portuguese colonization of the state, is also found in South America, where it is referred to by many names, including bocadillo in Colombia and perad or goiabada in Brazil. Currently, a number of eateries, pubs, and chefs around India are jumping on this seasonal fruit craze and going above and beyond to showcase the aromatic guava in a variety of ways.

 

From standing to sitting

Chef Taiyaba Ali recently presented a seven-course pop-up meal called Butter Fingers at Magazine St. Kitchen in Mumbai. She did a very creative job showcasing the guava. This was done with a Pink Guava Sorbet, which was inspired by memories and served as a palette cleanser in between courses. “I used my grandmother’s memories of preparing amrood kachalu for the kids in the evenings as a conduit. Ali recalls that Kachalu was essentially a fruit chaat made with finely chopped guavas macerated in sugar, black salt, and black pepper.

One of the most famous Italian restaurants in Mumbai, Napoli by Shatranj, has added not one, but two guava-inspired dishes to its new menu. In honor of the well-known Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, the Verdi’s Verde drink blends the Peruvian alcoholic beverage pisco with guava, chile, and rose to produce a symphony of flavors that reflects Verdi’s inventiveness and passion. Chef Mahfuz Shaikh’s creation, the cheesecake a la guava al forno, is featured on the menu and is surrounded with guava sorbet soil in addition to a guava sauce topping. The plan, according to Shaikh, was to use locally grown food, such as the gorgeous pink guava, to create cheesecake, the most popular dessert that practically all restaurants prepare.

Although guavas are a great basis for cocktails and other beverages, the tequila-based cocktail Doña Perfecta, which is offered at Kolkata’s newest Mexican restaurant Mehico—named after the Mexican Spanish word for “Mexico”—further supports this idea. The drink features overtones of citrus and tropical flavors and is made with Patron tequila, pink guava, pomelo, prickly pear, and agave. “The ideal combination of flavors, from tropical sweetness to a hint of acidity, is embodied by guava. Head mixologist Manoj Singh Rawat says, “Our menu at Mehico works with Mexican-inspired ingredients, as well as local produce, all working together to create depth and complexity.” Guava fits in well with this idea since it is a fruit that is both widely accessible locally and has a strong cultural connection to Mexico.

This is a seasonal and local feature that is reflected in another spicy drink with guava as the main ingredient. Whink is the child of mixologist Apeksh A, who leads the bar staff at Hyatt Centric on MG Road in Bangalore. The Bengaluru Brasserie in the hotel serves this vodka cocktail. The guava, a beloved fruit of nostalgia, brings back memories of our early years when it was sold outside the school and dusted with salt and chili pepper. It was a little moment from my youth that I treasure and the ideal snack after school. Apeksh says, “I created a drink to rekindle that cherished nostalgia, capturing the essence of youthful delight in every sip, inspired by its timeless allure.”

Poco Loco, a Mexican restaurant with locations in Kemps Corner and Khar, Mumbai, is another restaurant including guava in its beverages, namely in the Guava Margarita. The bar manager for the restaurant chain, Vaibhav Suresh Salvi, says, “This refreshing tequila-based cocktail offers a delightful symphony of sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors with its blend of guava juice, triple sec, lime juice, and just a hint of Tabasco.”

Concerning Appetizers and Sweets

Guava may be found in both sweet and savory dishes. Two examples are the Khatta Mittha Chilli and Amrud Chutney from Mumbai’s Via Bombay restaurant in Chembur. It is a well-balanced combination of spicy and sweet flavors, influenced by the colorful street cuisine of Gujarat.

But the guava chutney at the InterContinental Jaipur Tonk Road hotel’s Socorro and AIRE Skybar & Grills is enhanced with tamarind and black pepper. In Ayurvedic cooking, guava is prized for both its deep medicinal properties and its delicious flavor. According to hotel executive chef Gaurav Prasher, “its special combination of sweetness and tanginess adds depth to our dishes, and its Ayurvedic properties resonate with our commitment to holistic wellbeing.”