What the heck is Feijoa? (A cider review.)

Background:

This is the last of the ciders I tried while in Australia.  I had already given the thumbs up to Old Mout’s Scrumpy Cider, so I was excited to try a cider involving a fruit I have NEVER HEARD OF.

Dear wikipedia,

What is a Feijoa?

• Acca sellowiana, a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, is native to the highlands of southern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, Uruguay, and northern Argentina,and Colombia.^[1] It is widely cultivated as a garden plant and fruiting tree in New Zealand, and can be found as a garden plant elsewhere such as in Australia, Azerbaijan, West part of Georgia, South part of Russia and South Africa. ^[2] Common names include feijoa ( /feɪˈʒoʊ.ə/, /feɪˈdʒoʊ.ə/,^[3] or /feɪˈhoʊ.ə/)^[4] pineapple guava and guavasteen. It is an evergreen, perennial shrub or small tree, 1–7 metres (3.3–23 ft) in height, widely cultivated as a garden plant and fruiting tree. The German botanist Otto Karl Berg named feijoa after João da Silva Feijó, a Portuguese botanist born in the colony of Brazil.

 

And its flavour?

•  The flavour is aromatic, very strong and complex, inviting comparison with guava, strawberry, pineapple, and often containing a faint wintergreen-like aftertaste. It also is possible to buy feijoa yogurt, fruit drinks, jam, ice cream, and such in New Zealand. It also may be cooked and used in dishes where one would use stewed fruit. It is a popular ingredient in chutney. The very strong, complex flavour can make using feijoas, in combination with other fruits or vegetables, a creative and complex undertaking.

Now that I know what I was tasting, lets look at the cider.

 

Kind: Old Mout Cider – Feijoa and Cider

Size: 330mL glass bottle

Strength: 8% ABV

From: Nelson, New Zealand

 

Orgle’s Thoughts:

“We should’ve gotten an apple to taste them side by side.  There’s definitely something different to it. I like their other one, I like this one, I think I’d like their boysenberry one.”

My Thoughts:

It is different. That’s for sure. And not in a bad way.

There is an almost floral flavour from the feijoa. Its kind of like a sweeter pear skin. If that makes any sense.

It’s still strong like the others and quite dry. A really tart linger.  Distinct alcohol taste but it works well with the aromatic tartness.

Afterthoughts:

What I think the Old Mout Ciders taught me is that you can have a fruit cider without making a sweet cider.

Obviously, I’d love to try a feijoa to see how much of the fruit flavour came through in this cider, but maybe that would tarnish my impression of it – an impression that is definitely in the good category.

This cider was the most interesting one I tried down under and also one of the most memorable.

Where to buy:

Australia and New Zealand.

Sigh. Please find a North American distributor!