Papaya

About

A tender fruit which grows in tropical areas of the world. The outer skin is usually green and the soft flesh is pinkish red or orange in color. The middle of the fruit contains tiny black seeds.

Papaya or Pawpaw has a sweet taste and when young contains a valuable enzyme known as papain which stimulates digestion, treats burns and helps to prevent worms. It is also useful in tenderizing meat.

Information

Other names: green papaya, Pawpaw

Translations: Papaija, Papaja, Papaja, Đu đủ, Papaja, Papaja, पपीता, Mamão, Папайя, Παπάγια, بابايا, 파파야, Papája, Pepaya, 木瓜, Papaja, Papája, Papaia, פפאיה, Папаја, パパイヤ, Papaye, Папайя, Papaija, Папая

Physical Description

The Papaya fruit is round to pear shaped in size. The ones in the market are around six or seven inches in length but they can grow longer than that. They are very dense and can weigh at around 2 to 20 pounds. Unripe Papayas have green skin and white flesh, and ripe papayas have yellow skin and red orange flesh.

Colors: light orange to yellow

Tasting Notes

Flavors: sweet

Mouthfeel: Soft, Juicy

Food complements: Lime, Salt, Chile, Seafood

Wine complements: White wine, Late harvest reisling, Reisling, Viognier

Beverage complements: Limeade, Tequila, Sangria

Substitutes: Dried papaya, Mango, Pineapple

Selecting and Buying

Seasonality: january, february, march, november, december

Peak: january, february, march, november, december

Choosing: When selecting ripe papayas you would like to eat at once. Choose one with a reddish-orange skin, and are a little soft to the touch. Yellow skinned papayas will still take a few days to ripen, and green papayas are only used for cooking, and will not develop the same sweetness as the ripe papayas. Always check for bruises on the skin or are too soft.

Buying: Papayas are available during summer and fall but one can usually buy them throughout the year