Papaya, Fruit Of The Angels

Called the fruit of angles by Christopher Columbus, the papaya is native to southern Mexico and Central America it is now grown in all sub-tropical and tropical countries. Carried by the Spaniards to Asia in the mid 1500’s then from India to Italy in 1626.

Common names used for Papaya, pawpaw or Paw Paw (in Australia) but this should not be confused with a true Pawpaw. It has been corrupted in Asia by replacing the P with a K, L or T. In French, it is papaye, while Latin cultures call it the melón zapote, and payaya. When first encountered by Europeans it was nicknamed "tree melon".

The Solo papaya or the Hawaiian variety is what we most commonly see in the market. It was named after it was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands in 1911. Averaging 1 to 2 pounds, the pear-shaped fruit has an orange to reddish-colored meat that is sweeter than the Mexican varieties which grow much larger (up to 20 pounds) and have a yellow to orange-colored meat.

Often referred to as a tree, the plant is actually an herb that grows at a rate of six to 10 feet in the first year and between 20 and 30 feet in the second. Being able to produce fruit in its first year, a healthy plant may produce an average of 75lbs of fruit per year, though some plants have borne as much as 300 lbs. As harvest weights decrease with age, producers of papaya generally change out the plants every four years.

Successful commercial production these days is from Hawaii, where the majority of the crop is genetically modified to beat disease, and from tropical Africa, the Philippines, India, Thailand, Malaysia, and Australia.

There are many different varieties of papayas, thanks to the wonders of horticulture and science. The Solo or smaller varieties are sold as fruit in the markets while the larger varieties weighing up to 20 pounds are used for processing juices, nectars, dehydrated papaya, and green fruit is used for its papain in meat tenderizers.

The Fruit
Ready to harvest when yellowish-green the fruit yellows as it matures. If picked green the fruit will never fully mature though it will turn yellow. The Solo or small, ripe fruit is most often peeled, seeded and eaten. Green fruit can be cut and cooked like a vegetable, similar to Crisotphene or chayote squash.

A serving or one papaya offers over 300% of your daily value of vitamin C, has roughly 118 calories, is also rich in vitamins A, E and K and contains a good volume of folate, potassium and dietary fiber.

The Leaves, seeds, flowers & bark
Before chemical meat tenderizers were discovered, papaya leaves was wrapped around meat to tenderize it. The leaves are rich in papain-- an enzyme that breaks down meat. The young leaves are also cooked and eaten like spinach in the West Indies. Dried leaves are smoked to help relieve asthma and, when mixed with honey, are used as a cure for cough and fever. Fresh leaves, boiled in hot water are used as medicine for malaria. When eaten with onions they can boost your urine system. Papain is also good for cleansing the liver.

The seeds are peppery and are often mixed in with whole peppercorns in Indian cuisine. They are most often seen in recipes for salad dressing. In Indonesia, the flowers are sometimes candied and in Africa the young stems are cooked and served as a vegetable.

Medicinal Qualities
Not only does the enzyme papain break down meat it is also helpful in aiding digestion. However, cooking removes these qualities so consumption of raw papaya fruit or seeds may be preferred. Like apples, the fruit is a great source of pectin and is a protector against radiation. Green or unripe papaya is used in many cultures as a contraceptive or to induce abortion. Seeds have shown contractive qualities in male langur monkeys and may have the same effect on male humans. The papaya has also been proven to have anti-inflammatory qualities, and the ripe skin can be saved and used to wash one's face. The natives of the Indonesian Island of Java credit their wonderful complexions to bathing with papaya.

Concerns for consumption
As with bananas and avocados, papayas contain chitinases which are associated with latex-fruit allergy syndrome. If you have a latex allergy you may also show reactions to these foods. Excessive consumption could cause Carotenemia, the yellowing of soles and palms. The condition more than likely would only result from eating a significant amount of papaya and is not considered dangerous. Other noted concerns include reactions to undercooked meat tenderized with papaya leaves or with papain.

Written By: Chef Tres Hundertmark
Tres has twenty-years culinary experience in kitchens from Nantucket to New Orleans. A patriot of cuisine, and a graduate of the school of hard nocks majoring in hard work and a since of humor, Tres has learned a few things. Happy cooks make happy food, and there are 168 hours in a week use them wisely. Tres is currently the chef du cuisine at Mac’s Shack (www.macsseafood.com/) in Wellfleet Mass. When not cooking the chef blogs about food and oysters from www.oystergeek.com and contributes articles to magazines and trade journals.

Web Bibliography:
http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/papaya.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carica_papaya http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/papaya_ars.html http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=47 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/282617

Books:
Bailey, Adrain, Cooks Ingredients. London, Dorling Kindersley Limited, 1980
McGee, Harold, On Food and Cooking, New York, Macmillan Publishing co. 1984
Herbst, Sharon & Ron, Food Lovers Companion,New York, Barron’s Educational, 2007