1 week Ago By Nikki Birrell
Kiwis love them - so why isn’t the rest of the world enamoured with feijoas? Nikki Birrell investigates. The feijoa phenomenon in NZ Every autumn in New Zealand, feijoas become inescapable. They fall from backyard trees in abundance, are handed around at workplaces in bulging bags, and find their way into cakes, chutneys, smoothies and even experimental cocktails.
For many Kiwis, scooping out the fragrant, grainy pulp with a spoon is a nostalgic ritual – a taste of childhood and community. Yet, despite this national obsession, the rest of the world remains largely oblivious to feijoas. While avocados and kiwifruit have conquered global markets, feijoas have remained stubbornly local.
Why? Feijoas aren’t just a fruit in New Zealand; they’re part of the culture. There’s an unspoken rule that if you have a feijoa tree, you share your bounty. This communal, almost ritualistic connection to feijoas sets them apart from other fruits, which are typically bought rather than bartered or gifted.
Where feijoas actually grow.
