The papaya is still an exotic plant and fruit in this country. The plants, which originate from Central America, can also be grown from seed thanks to their strong growth potential.

Papayas were already known to Spanish sailors like Christopher Columbus

The exact area of origin of the papayas has not yet been scientifically determined to this day. However, evidence from the 16th century shows that Spanish sailors found the fruit, which was widely used by the local indigenous people, in Mexico and other places in Central America. After all, it was the Spaniards who laid the foundation for today's spread by settling papayas in the Antilles and the Philippines.

The name of the papaya

The name papaya is used today in everyday language for both the plant and the fruit of a whole range of papaya varieties. The name papaya probably comes from the language of the Arawak Indians living in Central America. They are said to have referred to the fruits that are important in their culture as "ababai", which can probably be translated as "tree of health". Because it belongs to the melon family (Caricaceae), the papaya is sometimes also referred to as a tree melon or melon tree fruit.

Where do the papayas in the supermarket come from?

Basically, nowadays there are different varieties of papaya that have been created by crossing and as breeds with resistance to diseases. The papayas available in stores in this country are usually only about a pound in weight and come from growing areas such as Hawaii or Brazil. In the meantime, almost exclusively papayas of the Rainbow Papaya variety, which is resistant to the papaya ring blotch virus, are grown in Hawaii. But there are also papayas in Mexico that can weigh up to 5 kilograms. Other growing areas in the tropics and subtropics are:

  • Australia
  • India
  • Ivory Coast

How are papayas used?

The papayas from the supermarket should already have at least a few yellow spots or stripes on their green skin so that they can continue to ripen at home. However, papayas can be enjoyed as a fruit or vegetable, depending on your taste. If papayas have been harvested too early so that they no longer ripen with their full sweetness, they can still be cooked into the following products:

  • Asian salads with spicy seasoning
  • chutneys
  • curries
  • salsa

tips and tricks

You can tell the ripeness of the papayas flown in here not only from the yellowish ripe color. Ripe fruits can also be pressed softer with a finger than the harder, unripe fruits.

Category:

Trees