What Is Papaya and How Do You Use It?
If you’ve been interested in trying some tropical fruits, you may have pondered the question: “What is papaya?” The delicious fruit originates from the tropical climates of Central and South America. Today, it also grows in other warm climates, such as in the Caribbean and the U.S. state of Florida. Conveniently, it is available in many supermarkets, making it easy to try some for yourself.
This sweet, smooth and creamy treat is perfect for eating on hot summer evenings and can also be enjoyed in refreshing smoothies, salads and desserts. Best of all, papaya is very healthy, offering an array of nutritional benefits. If you’re curious to learn more about the vibrant and tasty fruit, keep reading for a comprehensive guide on what papaya is and how to use it.
Jump to Section
- What Are Papayas?
- What Does a Papaya Look Like?
- What Does Papaya Taste Like?
- How To Eat Papaya
- Is Papaya Good for You?
- Where To Buy Papaya
What Are Papayas?
Papayas are tropical fruits that come in beautiful shades, ranging from a yellowish-orange to a vibrant and enticing mix of orange and red. While often green or yellow on the outside, once cut open, you will find vibrant flesh and lots of black seeds.
This fruit is native to Mexico and other South and Central American countries and belongs to the Caricaceae family. These days, papayas also grow in other warm climates, including in India, parts of Africa and the U.S. state of Florida.
Is Papaya a Fruit?
Papaya is definitely a fruit. In fact, it’s considered a true fruit since it develops from the mature ovary of a flowering plant, similar to tomatoes, bananas and melons. When cut open, it also includes a center full of small dark seeds, another common qualifier for whether an ingredient is a fruit or not.
What Is Green Papaya?
A green papaya is simply a young, unripened papaya, hence its alternate name of “young papaya.” While the ripe version of this fruit features vibrant skin colors that range from yellow to orange and red with orange flesh, the unripe version features darker green skin and pale light green flesh. It’s also much harder in terms of texture on both the outside and the inside, and somewhat bland in taste. Still, this is a popular ingredient in Southeast Asia, among other countries. It’s often used to add crunch, fiber and a slight sweetness to savory dishes like Thai papaya salad.
What Does a Papaya Look Like?
As a soft tropical fruit, papaya comes in vibrant colors and a range of sizes. No matter the shade, which determines its ripeness, a papaya is smooth, plump and curved. It usually comes in an elongated oval shape that starts wide at the bottom and narrows out at the top. Once cut open, you will find vibrant orange flesh (if the fruit is ripe) and round black seeds. As mentioned, young or green papaya will have light green instead of orange flesh when cut open.
What Color is Papaya?
Papaya comes in a speckled gradient of yellowish orange or reddish orange. Once you cut it open, the flesh is a bright reddish-orange color that encases a center of little black spherical seeds. When unripened, its outside is dark green while its flesh is pale green with cream-colored seeds.
What Does Papaya Taste Like?
This fruit features strong sweet notes and a creamy texture when it’s fully ripe. Many say that the bite of a ripe papaya is reminiscent of a cross between the sharp sweetness of mango and the smoothness of cantaloupe or other melons.
If it hasn’t ripened yet, it will taste much more bland with little to no discernable flavor at all besides an extremely mild sweetness. The soft taste of unripe green papaya is often paired with ingredients like red chile, allowing the spicy chile pepper to shine alongside the cooling green papaya fruit.
How To Eat Papaya
Papaya is a great fruit prepared on its own or in creative recipes. To really get a taste of the papaya, try some on its own as a healthy snack. You can also add a little lime to the papaya to bring out the flavor. Combining it with other fruits in a fruit salad is a great idea as well.
Along with being a delicious snack on its own, you can blend it up in smoothies or add it to desserts, for example, by making papaya sorbet or ice cream. You can also use papaya in savory salads. However, green papaya is often favored over ripened papaya for these types of recipes. If you’re feeling fancy, you can even use it as an ingredient or garnish for impressive iced drinks and cocktails.
To better learn how to incorporate papaya into your recipes, consider taking a few cooking classes near you that can teach you both sweet and savory papaya recipes. If you want to learn new recipes in your own kitchen, opting for online cooking classes is an excellent idea.
How To Tell if a Papaya Is Ripe
Want to know how to tell if a papaya is ripe and ready for use in your recipe? There are a few signs to look out for. In its unripened state, this fruit is usually dark green or slightly yellow and quite hard to the touch even with pressure. When it’s ripe, the colors will look much brighter and warmer with yellow, orange and red tones and will be slightly soft to the touch. The softer it is, the more ripe it is.
How To Ripen a Papaya
If you’re looking to speed up the ripening process for your papaya, we’ve got a few tips and tricks to get it done fast. One trick is to place your unripened papaya into a paper bag and then fold or roll the opening closed. This will help it ripen quickly within two to three days. If you’re really in a hurry, you can ripen it even faster by adding an apple or a ripe banana to the bag before closing it. These fruits produce ethylene, which is a gaseous plant hormone that helps to induce the faster ripening of fruit in general.
Want to speed up the process even faster than that? This last trick is similar to the second one but instead of using another fruit’s ethylene, it relies on releasing the papaya’s own ethylene by scoring the peel.
To try it, take a small knife and thinly score the outer peel vertically. Make sure to pierce only the outer peel and not the flesh. If you do accidentally pierce the flesh, the entire fruit could rot. When using this scoring method, you will also end up with a papaya that is much sweeter than usual — this could be an advantage or disadvantage depending on how you like the fruit and what type of recipe you are using it in.
How To Cut a Papaya
When it comes to learning how to cut papaya, there are a few methods available depending on how you like to enjoy your fruit. One fun and effortless method is to make fruit balls. To do this, cut your fruit in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds with a spoon and then use a melon baller or ice cream scoop to make your fruit balls. These are great on their own or as a topping for salads, cakes or other chilled desserts.
Another method is to wedge or cube your fruit. To do this, cut your papaya in half lengthwise and spoon the seeds out just like in the first method. Then, take one half and stand it vertically before peeling off the outer skin with either a knife or a vegetable peeler. If you opt for a knife, be careful not to cut too much of the fruit itself away. When that’s done, you can slice it into wedges, cubes or any other shape you prefer. Repeat for the other half and you’ve got a fully prepared papaya.
Lastly, you may want to peel the papaya using a vegetable peeler. This method is generally used with unripe papaya when it is being added to savory salads. Simply peel off the skin using the above method and then continue peeling the flesh into string-like pieces for use in your recipe.
Can You Eat Papaya Seeds?
What might be surprising to some is that papaya seeds are completely edible. They can be a great garnish for many dishes, especially if you’re looking for something with a kick. When prepared, they offer a flavor profile of uniquely bitter and peppery notes.
How To Eat Papaya Seeds
Papaya seeds are often used as a slightly spicy seasoning for all kinds of dishes. The naturally spicy flavor and crisp texture of the seeds make them a great substitute for pepper or peppercorn. To prepare and use them in your own home cooking, you just need to follow a few simple steps.
Firstly, separate them from the rest of the fruit by scooping them out with a spoon. Next, pour them into a strainer and wash them with water. Since they’re small and somewhat delicate, you can rub them gently with your hands to remove some of the sticky coating around them. Make sure to remove all the residue to avoid the seeds spoiling quickly.
Once they’re clean, shake off any excess water. Lay out a towel or baking sheet and spread the seeds out to air dry. You can also bake them at 150 degrees Fahrenheit for around two to four hours, depending on the amount of seeds you are baking. When the seeds are dry, you can crush and grind them to create a ready-to-use seasoning.
Is Papaya Good for You?
“Is papaya healthy?” is another thing you may be wondering about this tropical fruit. Overall, the answer is yes. Like many fruits, papaya is low in calories and has a ton of nutritional benefits when eaten in moderation. Of course, there are a few drawbacks to note as well.
In terms of health benefits, this fruit is a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium and fiber. These nutrients help to protect against heart disease, diabetes, some types of cancer and more. Vitamin C can boost your immune system and protect you from infections as well.
Additionally, the high mix of fiber and water content makes this fruit a great ingredient for reducing bloating and constipation. If you’re looking for inspiration on how to start eating healthy, adding papaya to your diet would be a great start!
Papayas are also a good source of papain, a protein-breaking enzyme that generally improves digestion. However, this is an ingredient that should be avoided during pregnancy, meaning it's generally best to stop eating papaya while pregnant. It's also important to note that papain is much higher in unripe papaya, so always avoid dishes that use it during pregnancy and consult with a health care professional if you have any questions.
As with most fruits, papaya also has quite a bit of natural sugar. Fortunately, you would have to eat very large quantities of the fruit for this to pose any serious issue.
Where To Buy Papaya
If you’re ready to incorporate papayas into your recipes or just eat them on their own, you should be able to find them in your local grocery store. They can be found in the produce aisle along with other tropical fruits. Because of their somewhat hefty size, they’re usually sold in singles or pairs. If you need lots of papayas, you may be able to get a large quantity for a reasonable price at farmers markets or wholesalers.
International grocery stores that focus on Southeast Asian or Latin American cuisines will also often carry this delicious fruit. Note that the fruit is in season from May through September, so this is the best time to find and try papaya.
Join 200,000+ Culinary Enthusiasts
Overall, papaya is one of your best bets for adding a refreshing tropical spin to your usual fruit rotation or recipes. This versatile fruit is fantastic on its own and also makes a delicious topper for salads and drinks. You can even add a twist to your dishes by using the edible, peppery seeds. Now that you know the answer to the question: “What is papaya?” pick one up and give it a try as a healthy snack or in a sweet or savory recipe.
For even more ways to explore your favorite foods, check out other experiences happening on Cozymeal.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
Join the conversation.