I have a Feijoa tree at home, so it's pretty cool seeing my 3-year-old daughter Hazel getting excited about eating them in season.

Describing the taste of feijoa is seriously difficult. I often ask my non-Kiwi friends, who haven't grown up with them, what they liken them to. Usually they say guavas or quince but because of their complex flavour, strawberries and pineapple come to mind. Texturally, they are similar to a pear, in terms of the grittiness.

Feijoas are high in vitamin C, low in calories and a great source of minerals, fibre and antioxidants. They have been shown to help reduce inflammation, counter effects of ageing and apparently even reduce some risks of cancer.

Feijoas are part of the Myrtle family along with Eucalyptus and clove, which explains their distinct aroma.

AUDIO: Michael's Feijoa Creme Brulee

Feijoa Creme Brulee

Serves 4-6:

2 cups cream (or 1 cup cream and 1 cup milk)

2 vanilla pods split them lengthways, gently scrape out the black seeds

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

4-8 tsp caster sugar

8 ripe feijoa

1 Tb manuka honey

1 pinch salt

Method

Cut the feijoa’s in half and scoop out the flesh, place into an oven tray and drizzle with honey.

Roast under the grill for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Spoon into each ramekin and cool.

In a saucepan, heat the cream with vanilla pods (deseeded) and vanilla seeds gently until it just boils. Remove from heat.

Place the egg yolks with sugar (1/2 cup) in another bowl and whisk together.

Remove the vanilla pods then pour the hot cream mixture into the bowl and whisk again. Carefully pour into the ramekins, leave a few millimetres at the top of each.

Arrange the ramekins in a roasting pan and pour in enough hot water to fill halfway up the outsides of the ramekins.

Bake at 150 degrees celsius for 25 to 30 minutes or until the brulee has just set (it will still appear a little wobbly, but not runny), then remove them from the oven.

Just before serving, sprinkle the top of each ramekin evenly with 1 to 2 teaspoons of caster sugar.

Arrange the ramekins on a tray and place under a very hot grill (3cm to 5cm from the heat) for 2 to 3 minutes until the sugar melts and browns. (Alternatively, you can do this with a blowtorch if you have one.)