Brazil 9 - Goibada

If brazilian food were jewels, then this is the grand ruby of food...goibada.

I know it doesn't look like a jewel, in fact it sort of looks like a brick of glossy red plasticine with bits in it - yet once you taste this wonderful lump of guava paste you will dream about it forever.

Goibada is a tradtional food from Minas Gerais, a state north of here. They have very rustic and incredibly tasty food. This gooey ruby has just two ingredients: guava and sugar - you can see it on the packaging - goiba e acucar. You'll also notice it says Goibada Cascao, that means the guava skin is also mixed in which gives it that extra "gritty" texture....sooooooooooo good.

You may have noticed if you've read previous posts, that goibada is used in a lot of yum things - they use it in sonhos, in biscuits, cakes, desserts, and they serve it simply with cheese to make a thing called Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet is a slice of goibada with an equally thick slice of a hard yellow cheese from the same region, and it's eaten together - and it really is when this grand ruby most shines!! Oh such bliss. The wonderful fruity sweeteness of guava paste with the salty hardness of this cheese...it's the most romantic of romantic matches.

If you are used to eating that posh quince paste with your cheese platter - well toss the bloody stuff - this ruby of goibada paste is far superior in every way!!