Red Papaya
Interesting Facts about the Red Papaya
The fruit of the plant called Carica papaya is the red papaya. It was originally found in the tropical areas of the Americas, and it was grown non-commercially for several centuries in Mexico. Some people call it a “paw paw” or a “big melon”, although the paw paw in North America is from a different species.
The red papaya is a tree-like, large plant, with its only stem growing from twelve to thirty feet in height, bearing leaves that are spirally arranged and confined mainly to the top of its trunk. The lower trunk of the tree bore fruit and leaves at one time, but will generally end up looking scarred. The leaves of the papaya plant are large, with seven lobes. The flowers have a shape reminiscent of those of the Plumeria, but they are wax-like and smaller. The fruit is roughly six to eighteen inches long, and is ripe when it feels a bit softer than a ripe avocado, and the skin looks in color an orange-amber hue. The fruit tastes rather like a peach or a pineapple, except for the fact that it is a milder taste, and not as tart.
The papaya can now be found in almost any country with a tropical climate, including Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, India and Brazil. It came originally from South America, Central America and Mexico.
Normally you would eat the ripe fruit of a red papaya raw, without the seeds or the skin. You can also cook the unripened fruit and use it in stews, salads and curries. The pectin level is fairly high, too, so it can be used in jellies.
Papaya fruit and the latex of the tree are both full of papain, an enzyme that can be used to tenderize meats. It has an ability to break down meat fibers that are tough, and it was used by indigenous Americans for thousands of years. You will often see papain in meat tenderizers of the powdered variety, and you can also purchase it to aid in digestion issues. The papaya is used in Thailand, and eaten cooked and raw.
The nutritional value of the red papaya, based on 3.5 oz portions, boasts 1.8 grams of dietary fiber, and .61 grams of protein. It also offers significant amounts of vitamin A, the B vitamins, and over one hundred percent of your daily needed vitamin C.
Papain is also used in countries where it is native, to treat burns, stings, rashes and cuts. It is usually applied as a thick paste. Women in Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan have used papaya for many years, as a contraceptive. There is no scientific evidence that it works, however.
The papaya's black seeds can be eaten, and they have a spicy, sharp taste. Often, they are ground and used instead of pepper. Sometimes the leaves of young papaya plants are steamed, and eaten much as spinach is, in parts of Asia. Papaya leaves also are used to prevent Malaria when made into tea in some parts of the world, but there is no scientific evidence that this is effective.