Why do we love feijoas more than anyone else in the world? (www.rnz.co.nz)

submitted 3 months ago by Dave@lemmy.nz to c/newzealand@lemmy.nz

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When it cools down and autumn hits in New Zealand, office kitchens and staff rooms are suddenly abundant with the sweet smell of our widely available little fruit – the feijoa.

But spare a thought for Kiwis who have made Australia home – where they don’t seem to understand our feijoa fantasy.

Piera Maclean, who has lived in Melbourne for a decade, longs for the taste.

“Normally at this time of year in New Zealand everyone's having feijoa crumble all the time and making cakes. They've got so many. Whereas here it's like if you find three, you know you're feeling very lucky and it's the best day ever.”

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[-] Dave@lemmy.nz 7 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

I'm guessing we* like them because they grow like crazy and so are abundant here. Every neighbourhood has some good foraging trees or people putting boxes of them out by the letterbox for people to take for free.

* I don't actually like them 😅

[-] AWOL_muppet@lemmy.nz 3 points 3 months ago

I never understood not liking them, it always shocks me that my feelings aren't shared...

More for me, I guess

[-] Dave@lemmy.nz 2 points 3 months ago

I don't know why I don't like them. I used to as a kid but grew out of them. I think it's just not a flavour I enjoy anymore, can't explain it more than that.

[-] dumblederp@aussie.zone 2 points 3 months ago

I lived up the road from a feijoa orchard in Colevile in the 80s. We used to have fights with dropped/rotten ones then go jump in the river to wash off. Good times.

[-] AWOL_muppet@lemmy.nz 2 points 3 months ago

They sounds like some great childhood memories, awesome stuff

[-] shellieg@beehaw.org 2 points 3 months ago

Living overseas for twelve years, feijoas are the thing I miss most, because they're basically impossible to find anywhere else. I found them once in a supermarket in France and never again 🥲

[-] Dave@lemmy.nz 1 points 3 months ago

I believe fejoas are native to South America. Wikipedia says that they are hard to transport as they bruise easily, so while they are transported internationally it is pretty uncommon.

It mentions New Zealand, California, and Columbia as the main places that grow them. So if they are hard to transport they probably are hard to find outside of those places. It also mentions some growing happening in southern Azerbaijan so if you happen to be there maybe you'll find some.

[-] shellieg@beehaw.org 2 points 3 months ago

Yeah they are South American, there is even a picture of a feijoa tree in the Colombian passport. But usually when I mention feijoa to South Americans they think I'm talking about 'feijoada', which is a Brazilian bean/meat stew 😂