I have been on the lookout for interesting produce that I have not tried before and was inspired to get a Strawberry Papaya. The fruit, which is a product of Brazil, is about the size and shape of an overgrown pear with a mild, slightly sweet flavor.
Ripeness
The three ways to check for ripeness in a strawberry papaya are:
- Color
- Feel
- Smell
Color: The skin of the ripe papaya is yellow/golden with flecks of white and green. The skin on an unripe papaya is green. You can see the difference in color between a ripe and unripe papaya in the picture below.
Feel: A ripe papaya will yield slightly when squeezed. An unripe papaya will feel hard.
Smell: A ripe papaya will smell slightly sweet while an unripe papaya will have little smell at all.
How to Prepare
Prepare the papaya by slicing it lengthwise through the middle to reveal a central cavity filled with inedible seeds.
Use a spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds.
After the seeds are scooped out you can:
- Eat the papaya with a spoon.
- Stuff the papaya with yogurt and berries.
- Remove the skin and cube for use in dishes.
Note, the skin is typically not considered edible.
To cube the papaya for use in other dished I will slice the fruit like a cantaloupe and slide a knife between the fruit and skin.
Once the skin is removed the papaya is easily sliced into chunks.
Taste
The strawberry papaya has a mild, slightly sweet flavor and a soft texture. I would estimate that the strawberry papaya I tried was less flavorful than a cantaloupe but with a similar flavor profile.
I ate a few slices by themselves and thought they were okay. I mixed the rest with some diced Cosmic Crisp Apples for a simple fruit salad. It turns out that the crunchiness and sweetness of the apples overwhelms the soft texture and mild flavor of the papaya. It probably would have been better if I mixed the papaya with slices of golden kiwi which have a more similar texture.
Overall I will call the flavor acceptable, slightly sweet and close to neutral.
Papaya Nutrition Facts
A single serving of papaya has the following nutritional information:
- Calories: 70
- Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 10mg
- Carbohydrates: 19g
- Protein: 0g
Papayas are recognized as having many health benefits including:
- Improved digestion
- Reduced inflammation
- Improved cardio vascular health
- Boosting the immune system
