FEIJOA AND LIME SANGRIA

Feijoa and Lime Sangria
 Serves 6-8

Ingredients: 

1 bottle (750ml) New Zealand white wine

1 cup Mac's Feijoa and Pear Sparkling Fruit Juice (or similar)

3.5 oz Light Rum (or gin or vodka)

1/2 cup Coconut Lime Simple Syrup* (recipe below)

2 feijoa, sliced

1 small lime, sliced

1 small lemon, sliced

Method:
  Slightly muddle cut fruit in the bottom of a glass pitcher. Combine all other ingredients in the pitcher and let chill one hour before serving. Serve over ice if desired.





Coconut Lime Simple Syrup
 Makes 1 cup

Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup coconut water

Zest of 1 lime

1/2 cup fresh lime juice 

Method:
  Set the sugar and coconut water over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved (about 3-4 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in lime zest and lime juice. Transfer to jar or other container and let chill for one hour. **You may wish to sieve the zest out before combining with sangria ingredients.

Introducing.... FEIJOA

These little green gems are autumn's only blessing in New Zealand. The upside-down part of the world doesn't celebrate the transition from summer to autumn with any of the same vigor as Americans, who drink pumpkin spice lattes while taking photos of their boot-clad feet in piles of leaves. This is April, so there's no Halloween or Thanksgiving, and no one even knows how to carve a pumpkin. Further, our Kiwi summers are mild, and far too short if you ask me, so there's no delight in the "relief" from summer heat that cooler autumn temperatures usually bring for Americans. No, in New Zealand, the end of summer is mourned. The cooling temperatures signal the end of long, warm nights around the barbecue, and active weekends at the beach, and quickly usher in 8 horrid months of freezing rain, bone-chilling wind, and depressing grey skies, in what I like to view as the true essence of the Maori title for New Zealand: Aotearoa, the "Long White Cloud." 

All this to say, woo hoo for feijoa and the small relief they bring from the sense of impending doom. Mix them with alcohol and you definitely have something to contend with those overpriced Pumpkin Spice Lattes.

Feijoa trees are native to South America and were introduced to New Zealand in the 1920s where ideal growing conditions have made them a wild success here. Outside of Brazil or NZ, you might have been lucky enough to locate a feijoa or two at a farmer's market in hippy places like Portland, or source an imported variety in places like Los Angeles or New York City, where no health food is denied to you. More than likely, if you've found this page from a Pinterest or google search, you are a Kiwi. And you, like me, adore all things feijoa.

If you're not Kiwi or Brazilian and are wondering what feijoa tastes like, GOOD FREAKING LUCK finding someone to describe it to you. As a test, I often ask Kiwis to tell me what they think feijoa tastes like and this is the typical response: "feijoa? Yeah, it tastes like... feijoa, eh?" Brilliant. The truth is, it's a totally unique flavor not quite like anything you've tasted before. The internets tells me it's called the "Pineapple Guava" elsewhere, but this is false. It does not taste like pineapple or guava or any combination therein. Let me see if I can describe it for you: feijoa tastes a little bit sour, a little bit sweet; a little bit earthy, like something long-forgotten from childhoods spent running free and careless, tasting foraged acorns and wild fruit. Feijoa's sweet pulpy nucleus is in the shape of a groovy X and surrounded by a harder, slightly sharp-tasting fruit siding. If you're a real fanatic, like my boyfriend, you pop the fruit in your mouth whole, eating the green skin and all. But most people cut the fruit in half and dig out the center with a wee spoon. Other people slice it up and pour booze over it. Your choice.

This Feijoa and Lime Sangria recipe is amazing. And I'm not just saying that because I invented it. The recipe has a lot going for it which makes it unlike any other sangria you've tried: the unique flavor of feijoa is complimented by the sweetened citrus simple syrup and mixed with a glorious New Zealand white wine. I topped mine with Mac's feijoa and pear fruit drink, which is a tart and bubbly delight. You can use whatever juice/mixer suits your tastes.

When you get right down to it, this sangria is crisp and a little bit sweet, but mostly it's holding on to the last few days of summer warmth, while honoring the changes that autumn brings. Feijoa is our savior, bearing the weight of our resignation and quiet hopes for a mild winter ahead. We love you, feijoa.

And yes, that is a box that says "Florida" on it. It's usually my magazine rack, but today it brought the warmth of home to the photo shoot. Small comforts for expat hearts.