A sweet break from autumn chill

/AzerNews/

By Nigar Orujova

As cold days gain momentum, everyone who hopes to stay healthy should make a tour of south of Azerbaijan and try feijoa with its vitamins.

South American feijoa was brought to Azerbaijan’s Lankaran-Astara region in 1928. Feijoa, also known as pineapple guava, is an oval shaped fruit with green skin that is used in preserves. The main feature of the fruit is its juicy flesh that is either light yellow or white in color.

Growing at an evergreen subtropical tree, the watery flesh of the fruit has a unique taste similar to those of the pineapple, banana and strawberry.

The price of feijoa goes up in this period of time. There are some reasons behind it. Feijoa is a good source of vitamin-C antioxidant that works well against viral illness through immune-boosting means, 100 g of fresh fruit provides 32.9 mg of this vitamin, which is about half of the daily norm.

Regular eating of this fruit will help your body to resist against infectious during these rainy and windy days.

Moreover, feijoa contains B-complex vitamins such as Pantothenic acid, niacin, vitamin-B6, and vitamin E and K, as well as minerals like calcium, magnesium, copper, and manganese. Those who stick to a diet including feijoa know well that it is a fruit with low calories: 100 g of fresh fruit holds only 55 calories.

And those who want to defeat the diseases and boost health before the winter should visit Lankaran and Astara one of these days while the weather is sunny.

Here, you can pick the fruits from the tree and eat them by cutting the fruit in half and scooping out the flesh with a small spoon.

You can also drink the feijoa compote, which tastes neither sweet nor sour and makes it possible to drink liters of it.

Do not forget to try and buy feijoa jam for winter times. It is good for those suffering from high blood pressure. One teaspoon of this jam is added to a cup of tea to bring the blood pressure down and help immune function at the same time.

In addition, you can enjoy rich nature of the region by visiting Hirkan National Park, located on the Astara-Lankaran road. The park covers three southern regions Lerik, Lankaran and Astara.

The park was set up in 2004, and covers an area of 21,435 hectares. Its aims to protect the nature, preserve the endangered flora and fauna species included on the national Red Book and create conditions for the promotion of tourism.

The territory is mainly covered with forests, however, here you can find several historical fortresses, monuments and residential settlements. Bear in mind that all the five travel routes to the park are carried out on foot, and the shortest last four hours, while the lon­gest nine hours.

Choose your destination and enjoy the last warm days of autumn in Azerbaijan.