PapayaFamily : Caricaceae

Scientist name : Carica PapayaOther names : Papaye, papaw, pawpaw, Lechosa

Where Does It Come From?

Originally from southern Mexico (particularly Chiapas and Veracruz), Central America, and northern South America, the papaya is now cultivated in most tropical countries.

It grows rapidly, producing fruits within three years. It is, however, highly frost-sensitive, limiting its production to tropical lands.

The papaya grows all year long.

The papaya is a large, tree-like plant, with a single stem growing from 5 to 10 m tall, with spirally arranged leaves confined to the top of the trunk. The lower trunk is conspicuously scarred where

leaves and fruit are born.

What Does It Look Like?

• The leaves are large, 50–70 cm in diameter, deeply palmately lobed, with seven lobes. The flowers are similar in shape to the flowers of the Plumeria, but are much smaller and wax-like.

• Two kinds of papayas are commonly grown. One has sweet, red (or orangish) flesh, and the other has yellow flesh; in Australia, these are called "red papaya" and "yellow papaw", respectively. Either kind, picked green, is called a "green papaya.

The fruit is sometimes round in shape, or may be more pear-shaped depending upon the variety and growing conditions. As available in stores, the papaya is generally not quite as long. Most have an average length of 7 inches (17.78 cm). The fruit is remarkably dense and may weigh up to a pound. The interior of the fruit is deep orange, the taste sweet, and the texture soft. Black seeds mark the middle of the fruit

How To Use It?

• The ripe fruit of the papaya is usually eaten raw, without skin or seeds. It is also eaten as a dried fruit.

• The unripe green fruit can be eaten cooked, usually in curries, salads, and stews. Sometimes it is used to make jam.

• Both green papaya fruit and the tree's latex are rich in papain, a protease used for tenderising meat and other proteins. It is now included as a component in powdered meat tenderisers

• It is also a cooking aid and in traditional medicine. Papaya is marketed in tablet form to remedy digestive problem.

What Are Papaya’s Benefits?

• Papaya fruit is a rich source of nutrients such as provitamin A carotenoids, vitamin C, B vitamins, lycopene, dietary minerals and dietary fibre.

• Papaya skin, pulp and seeds also contain a variety of phytochemicals, including natural phenols. Danielone is a phytoalexin found in the papaya fruit.