PAPAYAPAPAYA

PapayaPapayas are spherical orpear shaped fruit that can be as long as 20inches. Their flesh is arich orange with hues of yellow or pink. Theinner cavity is filled withblack, round seeds ina jelly like substance.

Papaya

Papayas are deliciouslysweet, like a cantaloupe,with a musky undertone.

The seeds are edible.They have a sharp,peppery taste.

PapayaPapayas are native toCentral America. Spanish & Portuguese explorers broughtPapaya to many subtropicallands they visited including India, the Philippines andAfrica.

Christopher Columbusreportedly called papaya“the fruit of the angels.”

PapayaIn the 20th century papayaswere brought to the UnitedStates. Today, Hawaii isthe major U.S. producer.The United States,Mexico & Puerto Ricoare the largest commercialproducers of papaya.

PapayaThe ripe papaya is eatenwithout skin or seeds, fresh ordried.

The unripe green fruitcan be eaten cooked, in curries,salads & stews.

Green papaya is used in Thaicooking both raw & cooked.

Papaya is high in pectin so it is used to make jellies.

PapayaGreen papaya is rich in an enzyme called papain which can be used to tenderizemeat.

Papain is sold in tablet as a medicine tohelp aid digestive problems. It is also usedas an ointment to treat cuts, rashes, stings& burns.

The stem & bark of thepapaya tree are used inthe production of rope.

PapayaPapaya is an nutrient powerhouse. It is anexcellent source ofvitamin C, as well asa good source of vitamin E, vitaminA, folate, potassium,magnesium, & fiber.

PapayaReferences

http://www.whfoods.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papayahttp://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/papaya.htmlhttp://www.picsearch.com/pictures/food%20!!%20drink/fruits/

fruits%20gr-pe/papaya.html http://fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/month/papaya.html