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Guavas are plants in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae) genus Psidium (meaning "pomegranate" in Latin) which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America.

 Guavas are now cultivated and naturalized throughout the tropics and subtropics in Southeast Asia, Hawaii, the Caribbean, Florida and Africa.Guavas are often included among superfruits, being rich in dietary fiber, vitamins A and C, folic acid, and the dietary minerals, potassium, copper and manganese.

Having a generally broad, low-calorie profile of essential nutrients, a single common guava fruit contains about four times the amount of vitamin C as an orange The guava is believed to have originated in an area extending from southern Mexico into Central America.

Since 1526, it has been common throughout all warm areas of tropical America, the West Indies, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. It was introduced to Florida in 1847 and was brought from there to the East Indies and Guam. It is likely that it spread from those regions to Asia and Africa. It was introduced to Hawaii in the early 19th century and is now common throughout the Pacific islands.  

The guava plant is evergreen, in the form of either shallow-rooted shrubs or trees up to 33 feet (10.05 meters) in height. The guava tree has a smooth copper-colored bark that flakes off to reveal a green layer underneath and has branches that spread at the top of the tree. The leaves are green and leathery. In addition to fruit, the guava tree also bears fragrant white flowers with four or five petals. Guavas, grown mainly in central Thailand but native to Central America and the West Indies, are available year round and are a standard offered by street vendors, particularly in Thailand.

The skin of the fruit is thin, greenish-yellow - you don't need to peel it - and the crunchy interior is usually white but can also be yellow, pink or red. The large, pear-shaped white ones are considered the best. They all have a centre of small, edible but hard seeds, in the middle of which is the softest pulp of the fruit.

The fruit's unusual aromatic quality is due partly to an essential oil also found in cloves, known as eugenol.In Hawaii, guava fruit is eaten with soy sauce and vinegar. Occasionally, a pinch of sugar and black pepper are added to the soy sauce and vinegar mixture. The guava fruit is cut up and dipped into the sauce.In Pakistan and India, guava fruit is often eaten raw, typically cut into quarters with a pinch of salt and pepper and sometimes cayenne powder/masala.

Street vendors often sell guava fruit for a couple of rupees each.The fruit is also often prepared as a dessert, in fruit salads. In Asia, fresh guava slices are often dipped in preserved prune powder or salt. In India it is often sprinkled with red rock salt, which is very tart.

Because of the high level of pectin, guavas are extensively used to make candies, preserves, jellies, jams, marmalades (Brazilian goiabada), and also for juices and aguas frescas.

Guava juice is very popular in Hawaii, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela, Egypt, Mexico, and South Africa."Red" guavas can be used as the base of salted products such as sauces, substituting for tomatoes, especially for those sensitive to the latter's acidity.

In Asia, a drink is made from an infusion of guava fruits and leaves. In Brazil, the infusion made with guava tree leaves (chá-de-goiabeira, i.e. "tea" of guava tree leaves) is considered medicinal.