Guava nectar is a juice made from the guava fruit. It is typically made by crushing fresh guava fruits and using the resulting guava pulp to create a rich, sweet juice which has a great deal of flavor. There are a number of uses for guava nectar, ranging from mixed drinks to straight consumption, and the beverage is especially popular in tropical regions. It can be found for sale in many markets, often in pasteurized and shelf-stable forms.
The guava itself is a tropical fruit from South America. Early Spanish explorers of the region were introduced to the fruit, and they appear to have adopted the Mesoamerican name for it when describing it to others. Guavas grow in shrubs and small trees, producing yellow to red fruit with a naturally very sweet, tangy flesh. Guavas are high in calcium and vitamin C, among other things, and they are often eaten fresh out of hand or in fruit salads.
Guavas are also used to produce jams, jellies, and preserves. They require little to no additional sweetener, since they are so naturally sweet, and they have a distinctive flavor which combines well with other tropical fruits. Other tropical regions of the world including Hawaii cultivate and harvest guavas, making the fruits readily available in many markets through rapid shipping.
Although nectar is is usually used to refer to the sweet liquid found in some flowers, it can also be used in the context of a sweet and refreshing drink. The Greeks believed that the gods drank a form of nectar, so the term often implies a very rich, flavorful beverage which seems like it might come from heaven. Plain guava nectar tends to be very thick, since it is made from a pulp concentrate, and it has all of the sweetness and tang of the fresh fruit. It can be almost cloying when drunk plain, because it is often quite strong.
When blended with other fruit juices, guava nectar can act as a sweetener, making sugar and honey unnecessary additions. Guava nectar is also used in a number of tropically themed alcoholic drinks, since the sweetness pairs well with alcohol. It may also be mixed with carbonated water to create a freshing cooling drink, and it can be used in the production or sorbet and ice cream as well. Like many juices, guava nectar can be pasteurized so that it will last longer, although once the package has been opened it should be kept refrigerated and used within a week.