{{Inline citations|date=September 2023}} {{Short description|Brazilian dessert, made from guavas}} {{Infobox prepared food | name = Goiabada | image = Goiabada slice.jpg | image_size = 250px | caption = Commercially produced goiabada | alternate_name = Guava paste, guava cheese | country = Brazil | region = Americas, Goa | creator = | type = Jam | served = | main_ingredient = Guava, sugar, water | variations = | calories = | other = }} {{Brazilian cuisine}} '''Goiabada''' ({{IPA|pt|goja'badɐ|}}; from ''Portuguese'' goiaba, guava) is a conserve made of red guavas and sugar, commonly found throughout the Portuguese-speaking countries of the world. It dates back to the colonial times of Brazil, where guavas were used as a substitute for the quinces used to make quince cheese. It required an abundance of sugar and slave labor for its production as it was made in large batches within cauldrons cooking over a slow fire. In rural areas of Brazil, it is still commonly made at home for family use or sale.
== Variations == Very similar to ''goiabada'' is the closely related Colombian ''bocadillo'', also made from guava but with more sugar.
It is known as '''guava paste''' or '''guava cheese''' throughout the English-speaking Americas, especially the Caribbean, and '''''dulce de guayaba''''', '''''barra de guayaba''''', '''''pasta de guayaba''''', '''''bocadillo''''' or '''''guayabate''''' in Spanish-speaking Americas. It is commercially available, most often packaged in flat metal cans, or as long rectangular blocks in chipboard boxes.
It is called ''perad'' in Goa (India), a former Portuguese colony. It is typically prepared seasonally after the guava harvest and cut into diamond-shaped pieces. Perad is an important component of the Christmas kuswar platter, symbolising festive hospitality and collective household labour. The dish reflects Portuguese culinary influence and is usually made in small batches at home rather than mass-produced.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.whetstonemagazine.com/south-asia-journal/a-taste-of-the-tropics-preserved-in-perad|title=A Taste Of The Tropics, Preserved In Perad|date=August 23, 2022|access-date=February 10, 2026|website=Whetstone Magazine|last=Dsouza|first=Lavina}}</ref>
In Brazil, ''goiabada'' is often eaten with Minas cheese in a dessert known as Romeu e Julieta. It is also popular spread on toast at breakfast.
In Portugal, it is used as the filling of the popular ''bolo de rosas'' (rose cake) in which a layer of pastry is covered with ''goiabada'', then rolled and cut into pieces that resemble roses. This same cake is called ''rocambole'' in Brazil, and also uses a layer of pastry covered with ''goiabada'', then rolled and served, as a Swiss roll. Another popular dessert is the bolo de rolo.
''Goiabada'' may come in many widely different possible textures, ranging from a thin paste, meant to be eaten with a spoon or spread on bread or cakes, to very hard slabs that can be sliced with a knife only with some difficulty. Canned varieties are usually half-way between those extremes, being easily cut into soft slices. The many different kinds of ''goiabada'' depend on the type of guava, the proportion of sugar, the amount of water, and the cooking process.
==See also== * {{annotated link|Bocadillo (dessert)}} * {{annotated link|Quince cheese|aka=Dulce de membrillo}} * {{annotated link|List of Brazilian sweets and desserts}} * {{annotated link|Lekvar}}
==References== {{Reflist}} * ''Tropical and Subtropical Fruits: Postharvest Physiology, Processing and Packaging.'' Muhammad Siddiq. ed. John Wiley & Sons, Aug 7, 2012
Category:Brazilian desserts Category:Caribbean cuisine Category:Food paste Category:Goan cuisine Category:Guava dishes