Superfood Series Part 1: Papaya

There may be no better way to start a day than with a bowl of ripe papaya, cut into chunks and served with a wedge of lemon or lime. The bright orange fruit is very easy to digest, has a lovely taste, and has many nutritional benefits: papaya is truly a gift from nature!

The papaya plant is thought to have originated in Central America and Southern Mexico. Now papaya can be found growing in nearly all sub-tropical and tropical climates throughout the world.

The plant itself resembles a tree, though technically classified as an herb. The leaves and fruit grow at the top of the plant, and the "trunk", or stem, has scars spiralling around it from previous season's leaves and fruit. Papaya plants are fast growing - reaching up to 10 feet the first year, and growing to, in some cases, over 30 feet tall!

The fruit, seeds, and young leaves of the papaya plant are all edible. The seeds have a peppery taste and can be eaten as they are, or added to salad dressings in place of pepper. The young leaves can be steamed and eaten much like spinach.

The papaya plant contains natural latex which is present in both unripe fruit and the plant's stem. The latex contains the enzyme papain, which was used for thousands of years in the Americas as a meat tenderizer. Papain in smaller concentrations in ripe papaya can help break down proteins and aid in digestion.

Low in Calories
A cup of cubed papaya has only 55 calories - not a bad snack!

Natural Digestive Aid
Papaya contains an enzyme called papain, which naturally breaks down proteins and cleans the digestive system. Eating papaya regularly will help maintain healthy digestion. Additionally, eating papaya when suffering from a gastrointestinal illness can comfort stomach pains and get the body's digestive system back on track.

Vitamin-packed
Papayas are an excellent source of vitamin C. They contain 33% more vitamin C than oranges as well as substantial amounts of vitamins A and E. Together these nutrients help fight high cholesterol by preventing the oxidation of cholesterol in our bodies.

Papaya also contains the vitamin folate. Folate helps our bodies produce and maintain new cells. People of all ages need folate in their diet to prevent anemia, and the vitamin is especially important for pregnant women and infants who are producing new cells at a fast rate.

• Pregnant women should be sure that the papaya fruit is 100% ripe before consuming, especially in early stages of the pregnancy, to avoid high concentrations of papain (and consult your doctor).
• Since cancer cells divide quite rapidly, anti-folate drugs are sometimes given to cancer patients.

Nutrition Summary:
For one cup of cubed, ripe papaya

• Calories: 55
• Vitamin A: 31% of daily value
• Vitamin C: 144% of daily value
• Folate: 15% of daily value
• Dietary fiber: 10% of daily value
• Potassium: 10% of daily value

Nutrition summary accumulated from WHFoods and Nutrition Data.

Preparing ripe papaya

1. Choose yellow to orange papaya with a limited amount of visible bruising (though some is expected and ok). The papaya should be firm, yet give slightly when applying pressure with your thumb. If the papaya isn't ripe, leave it unrefrigerated until it ripens naturally.
2. Slice off a small amount of on end of the papaya so that you can set it upright on your cutting board. Now, turning the papaya as you work, use a sharp knife to peel off the skin.
3. When all of the skin has been removed, slice the papaya in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon, careful not to scoop out a lot of flesh.
4. Slice each half into slices, and then cubes. Papaya can be served plain, or with a squeeze of fresh lime.

Preparing unripe papaya
Unripe papaya is commonly used in curries and salads in Thailand and other east Asia countries. It must be cooked before using to reduce the latex content that is very high, and not healthy, in unripe papaya.

1. Remove the skin and seeds, just as mentioned above.
2. Depending on the recipe, shred or cube the papaya.
3. Boil the papaya until tender. Chill for use in salads, or add to the curry mixture.

For some people, papaya is a learned taste. If you don't like it the first time you try it, try preparing it a different way the next time. Those who love papaya will describe it as a soft, silky fruit with a mellow flavor, someone reminiscent of a peach or a melon. 

Papaya As It Is

Prepare the papaya as mentioned above. Serve with a squeeze of a citrus fruit - orange, lemon, or lime.
Optional: rather than scooping out the seeds, leave them for people to have a peppery accompaniment to the papaya.

Papaya Morning Smoothie

Serves 2.

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped papaya
• 1 frozen banana
• 3/4 cup unsweetened yogurt
• 2 T honey
• 1 cup milk or water

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor
2. Process until smooth and serve in chilled glasses

Green Papaya Salad
Ingredients

• 1 unripe papaya, peeled, de-seeded, and shredded
• 2 red chilis, or 1-2 green serrano chilis, diced
• 1 clove garlic, diced
• 1 TB fish sauce
• 1 TB sugar
• 1 TB vinegar
• 2 TB olive oil
• 1 lime - juiced
• 1 handful cilantro or Thai basil, chopped

Directions

1. Boil the shredded papaya for five minutes. Drain, and cool.
2. Combine the rest of the ingredients into a dressing and mix well. Let them sit for 30 minutes - 1 day to develop a nice flavor.
3. Combine papaya with the dressing. Enjoy!

Articles:

• Superfood Series Part 2: Spinach
• Superfood Series Part 3: Walnuts
• Superfood Series Part 4: Tomato
• Nopales: A Mexican Superfood
• The Thailand Sex Diet
• Growing Papaya from Seed

Resources:

• Papaya - Carica papaya
• Papaya: World Health Foods
• Folate information on Wikipedia.org