Goiabada com Queijo (Romeu e Julieta)
A thick, sweet, slightly tangy guava paste cooked until sliceable — a fruit preservation technique. Served in slices with fresh cheese, it forms the emblematic duo Romeu e Julieta.
A thick, sweet, slightly tangy guava paste cooked until sliceable — a fruit preservation technique. Served in slices with fresh cheese, it forms the emblematic duo Romeu e Julieta.
You know Romeo and Juliet, my love? Well, in our house, it's a love story to eat! The guava, you cook it with sugar until it becomes a paste so thick the spoon stands up all by itself, querido. We made big slabs that kept for months in the cupboard. And then you marry it with white cheese — sweet and fresh together, ai, it's so simple and it's happiness.
- •Ripe guavas — a full basket (base fruit)
- •Sugar — almost as much as the pulp (sweetness and preservation)
- •Fresh cheese (queijo branco/Minas frescal) — for serving (salty-fresh counterpoint)
Goiabada com Queijo (Romeu e Julieta)
A thick, sweet, slightly tangy guava paste cooked until sliceable — a fruit preservation technique. Served in slices with fresh cheese, it forms the emblematic duo Romeu e Julieta.
Why this dish? Hebe appreciated tropical fruits; goiabada, a dense guava paste that keeps for months, is the most beloved Brazilian sweet — paired with fresh cheese, it becomes the famous Romeu e Julieta, a childhood and comfort dessert.
You know Romeo and Juliet, my love? Well, in our house, it's a love story to eat! The guava, you cook it with sugar until it becomes a paste so thick the spoon stands up all by itself, querido. We made big slabs that kept for months in the cupboard. And then you marry it with white cheese — sweet and fresh together, ai, it's so simple and it's happiness.
Ingredients (period version)
- Ripe guavas — a full basket (base fruit)
- Sugar — almost as much as the pulp (sweetness and preservation)
- Fresh cheese (queijo branco/Minas frescal) — for serving (salty-fresh counterpoint)
Ingredients
- Ripe guavas (or guava pulp) — 1 kg (base fruit)
- Sugar — 600 to 800 g (depending on pulp yield) (sweetness and preservation)
- Lemon juice — 1 tbsp (balance and set)
- Fresh cheese like queijo Minas (or firm ricotta/mild feta) — as desired (counterpoint for Romeu e Julieta)
Method
- Cook the cut guavas in a little water until tender, then pass through a sieve to obtain a smooth pulp.
- Weigh the pulp and add roughly the same weight of sugar (adjust to taste) and the lemon juice.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon: the mixture thickens and darkens (20-40 minutes).
- It is ready when the spoon leaves the bottom of the pot visible for a second before the paste closes back.
- Pour into a mold, let cool and set for several hours, then slice.
- Serve slices with a slice of fresh cheese (Romeu e Julieta).
How it was made : Goiabada continues the Portuguese tradition of fruit pastes (like quince marmalade) adapted to the local fruit, guava. Highly concentrated in sugar, it kept for a long time without refrigeration and was cooked in large copper cauldrons, stirred for hours with a wooden spoon.
The contemporary twist : Cut goiabada and cheese into small alternating cubes on a skewer, as a modern appetizer bite of the famous duo.
Hebe Camargo · Charactorium