42 Below Feijoa Vodka

[helenjp]

The moment I heard of this, I thought that feijoa was just born to be marinated in spirits. From where I am now, I can only dream, so can somebody please tell me if it's any good?

[pat_00]

The moment I heard of this, I thought that feijoa was just born to be marinated in spirits. From where I am now, I can only dream, so can somebody please tell me if it's any good?

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I've had it a couple of times.

I thought it was pretty good, and i'm not a big fan of feijoa. A very fresh taste, not too overpowering. You could make some interesting combinations with it.

After seeing what a feijoa looks like, I just found out that the street i grew up in was lined with these. My brothers and i used to throw them at eachother for fun.

[helenjp]

Thanks for responding! I was wondering if that fragrance comes through or not.

[insomniac]

Helen, I just brought back a couple of bottles plus one of the manuka honey flavour for my husb. (a Kiwi)....he adores feijoas. As for me, altho I enjoy eating the little guys I find the vodka quite detergenty, but definitely feijoa detergent if that makes sense , i.e not for the uninitiated, but I bet you'd like it..... they certainly use real fruit to get the flavour, rather than chemicals.

[Pat Churchill]

Someone gave me a bottle of it at a dinner function last year. Rather good, though I am not much of a vodka drinker. But the feijoa flavour came through. I remember putting a slug in some quince sorbet I was making. at the time

I'm a big feijoa fan and the fruit does make a great juice.

[helenjp]

I bet you'd like it.....

Yup, could never walk past that detergent bottle without taking a swig!

So you think it's a mixer rather than something to drink with water or ice?

Pat, I can imagine it would go well with quinces - and apples too?

Manuka honey could be good, too, it certainly has enough aroma.

Now that I think about it, it seems odd that more people in Australia and NZ don't make infused vodkas themselves. Since fruit or herb spirits are quite common in Japan, I've made them for a while, and find that you can leave out the sugar completely if you are willing to mature the spirits much longer.

Wonder if manuka (tea tree) leaves themselves wouldn't make an interesting tipple? I'd dry them a little before infusing, I think...(one of these days I'm going to poison myself experimenting with food and drink!).

[piazzola]

helenjp

There is a large Brazilian-Japanese population in Japan and feijoa is Brazilian in origin probably they use caipirinha to mellow it:)

[helenjp]

To mellow the feijoa, or to mellow the Japan experience?!

[piazzola]

To mellow the feijoa, or to mellow the Japan experience?!

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Probably both I think. All I know is that they are sons an daughters of Japanese immigrants to Brazil.

[insomniac]

So you think it's a mixer rather than something to drink with water or ice?

well, I definitely preferred it on the rocks but that's how I like to drink any vodka (perhaps my Russian grandparents' genetic bequest to me )

[insomniac]

Yup, could never walk past that detergent bottle without taking a swig!

I just googled feijoa and apparently their smell is the same as that of methyl benzoate, which is used as a solvent and an insecticide (but to attract, not repel) so I guess my uninitiated Aussie nose is smelling in the right direction

[Pat Churchill]

Yup, could never walk past that detergent bottle without taking a swig!

I just googled feijoa and apparently their smell is the same as that of methyl benzoate, which is used as a solvent and an insecticide (but to attract, not repel) so I guess my uninitiated Aussie nose is smelling in the right direction

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I think the term beloved of my fellow Kiwi food writers is "aromatic" when referring to feijoas. I grew up in Auckland where they were dirt common and one generally got a free supply from some generous neighbour. Likewise guavas. My godson's parents grew both so, as a 12-y-o godmother, whenever I bicycled over to see my wee godson, I invariably came home with bags of produce from their garden, including the above. Now living in Oz, I do miss them...