Real Food Encyclopedia | Papaya
The papaya (Carica papaya) looks unassuming when whole, but cut into the ripe fruit and you will be met with a gorgeous surprise: peachy orange flesh, a cavity full of dramatically contrasted black seeds and an earthy, sweet flavor.
Originally from southern Mexico, Central America, northern South America, and southern Florida, by the 17th Century, Dutch and Portuguese colonists brought papaya to Africa and then onto the Far East, where it became an integral part of the cuisines of Southeast Asia.
Fun facts about papayas:
- Papaya is also known as papaw or pawpaw in Australia and other parts of the world. This is a different fruit from the one we call pawpaw in the Northeastern United States.
- Did you know it’s a natural meat tenderizer? It contains papain, which breaks down tough meat fibers.
What to look for when buying papayas
Choose a papaya whose skin is slightly soft when you press into it, like an avocado. Avoid fruit with dark spots, overly soft areas or shriveled skin.
Papayas come in two shapes — the smaller, pear shaped Hawaiian variety and the bigger, oblong variety grown in Mexico and Central America and commonly found in supermarkets. On average they can weigh in around three to five pounds. Slice open the yellow-green papaya and at the center is a mass of distinctive black seeds with a gelatinous coating. The color of the fruit ranges from salmon hued to a deep, ruddy orange. In Asian markets and grocery stores you may find green papaya, which is distinctive for is green skin and hard, pale interior and white seeds.
Sustainability of papayas
Papaya was one of the first fruits on the front lines in the debate over genetically engineered (GE) food. In 1998, it became the first transgenic fruit sold in the United States, and to this day papaya is a source of contention in Hawai’i where a large percent of what’s grown is GE and pollen drift has even cross contaminated presumably organic papayas.
Papaya is also a thirsty plant, needing moist soil to thrive, with a water footprint of 55 gallons per pound. But when you compare papaya against other thirsty plants like coffee, chocolate, mango or even wheat, it has a relatively low water footprint.
Pesticides
According to the Environmental Working Group, papayas are part of the “Clean Fifteen,” meaning that of the fruits and vegetables it tested for pesticide residue, papaya was one of fifteen with the lowest chemical load.
Seasonality
Peak U.S. papaya season in May through September in places like Hawai’i, Florida and Puerto Rico.
Geography
Papaya is a tropical plant that grows within approximately 30 degrees above and below the equator and is highly susceptible to frost. With large fronds sprouting from the top like a crown, the papaya tree doesn’t look that dissimilar from the palm, especially with the fruit clustering near the top. However, the trunk of the tree is soft, like a large stem. Papaya is also notoriously finicky, needing lots of sunlight, warm temperatures, shelter from wind and well drained, fertilized soil. However, papaya grows quickly and will start fruiting within 10 months.
Hawai’i is the main place in the U.S. where papayas are grown commercially. The industry in Florida and Puerto Rico was hit hard by the ringspot virus several decades ago. Spread by aphids and leaving ringed shaped circles on the skin, the virus nearly destroyed papaya groves and ultimately led to the first transgenic (GE) papaya, the Rainbow, which was created when scientists inserted genes from the ringspot virus into the papaya for a built in vaccine.
India is the world’s top producer, but when it comes to exports, Mexico, Brazil and Belize lead the way.
Eating Papayas
Storing
Papayas are highly perishable. Once they ripen, they won’t last long unless refrigerated, and even then, no longer than a week or two.
Cooking
Most people eat papaya raw. All you have to do is slice up the fruit into cubes, discarding the skin and seeds. You can dress it with lime juice and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper, or go with a Thai preparation: shred unripe, green papaya raw and serve in a salad called Som Tam with fish sauce, lime, sprouts, vegetables and fresh herbs. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can dry and grind papaya seeds and use as a black pepper substitute.
Preserving
The easiest way to save them for later is to freeze them in cubes, which can then be added to smoothies. But there is a long tradition in warmer climes of making papaya into jam and pickles. Papaya also dries really nicely.
Nutrition
Papaya is rich with vitamins, minerals and reduces inflammation. In fact, a cup of raw papaya contains 150 percent of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C as well as 31 percent of Vitamin A and 10 percent of potassium. Papaya is high in beta carotene, which has been known to cause carotenemia, a harmless and temporary yellowing of the skin if you eat a ton of it. Additionally, papaya contains latex and may cause a reaction in those who are allergic.
Top photo by New Africa/Adobe Stock.